A Hero's Creed
by Mewlon
Summary: In order to prove himself to his father, Ike is to work under a great lord for a year. With Link gone, Zelda searches for a new hero. Will a chance meeting between the two be their answer or their demise? Ike x Zelda, Link x Samus, Lyn x Marth. FE9/OoT
1. Chapter 1: Cerulean Cloud

-1_I would like to thank my roommate, Jcomics for inspiring me to do this fic. Without her…I wouldn't be able to brainstorm half of this fic. I wanted to do something different. I grew rather fond of this pairing for particular reasons. Zelda became one of my favorite characters and I just love Ike._

_The story is an AU so some stuff may not apply. Also, Sheik is her own character…and yes I portrayed Sheik as a female rather than a male, like I usually do. Pairings are, of course, Ike x Zelda, Link x Samus, Marth x Lyn, Sheik x Pit. Even though Zelda is in Twilight Princess design, her personality is more of Ocarina of Time Zelda._

_This story is rather tame so it won't go over the T rating. On Ike's part…let's just say that Crimea hasn't gone to war yet._

**A Hero's Creed**

**Chapter One: The Cerulean Cloud**

It has been over a decade since he started his training. Being the son of a top mercenary who ran a strong group wasn't easy. He had to be strong too, especially during the hardships his family had to face when his mother passed away. Yet, it didn't seem anything could stop his father from training him and beating him at fencing. The scars and bruises were signs of his defeats against his father. However, everyone could see something young Ike couldn't see: the strength of his father growing in him.

Ike never let down his guard for anyone. Even if he was beaten by his father, he would continue to fight him until he could land one single blow. Mist, his younger sister, would always scowl at both him and Greil, his father, for being so pig headed. Both men should just shrug off her scowls and would continue to fight until either Ike was on the ground bleeding or unconscious.

"Hah! That was a good warm up fight," Greil laughed as he patted Ike's back. "Keep at it, my boy and you'll be a great mercenary one day."

"Y-yeah," Ike replied. He let out a soft sigh as he ran a rough, bandaged hand through his blue locks. Compared to his father, Ike was scrawny and still tiny. Greil was a rather large man with broad shoulders. Light brown locks barely touched his noble brow. To Ike, he was a colossus.

"Is something bothering you?" Greil asked. "You seem out of it. Or did I knock you too hard this time?"

"When haven't you knocked me hard?" was Ike's reply. "It's nothing, Father. I was just thinking…"

"About what?"

"Well…I'm about to be eighteen soon…meaning I will finally become a man and all…yet you still keep me in training as if I'm still a boy."

"Ike…I've told you already…you're not ready to go out into battle. When you've landed at least one single blow against me then you are ready. Until then, you'll have to stay behind and guard our headquarters along with Mist and Rolf."

Ike let out a small growl before he took up his wooden sword. He slowly got up on his feet. "Get up and fight me."

"We've already train for today," Greil replied. "You need to rest, Ike."

"No! I can handle this! How can I prove myself if you won't let me!"

"Ike, don't!" Mist yelled. "You'll only get hurt even more!"

"Mist…don't worry about me…okay?"

Somewhere close by, a young man with long black hair emerged from one of the rooms of the headquarters. His dark ruby eyes grew darker as he heard Ike's protests. He approached Ike and placed a soft hand upon his shoulder. "Ike…don't be dumb," said the young man. "If you fight in your condition you'll only lose and you'll get hurt; straining your chances of actually making it into the group."

"Soren," Ike said softly. "I've always wanted to join this group…join the group that you're in…but if I can't push myself to the limit how can I ever improve my chances at getting in?"

Soren took his hand off from Ike's shoulder. At that moment, Soren hit Ike behind the head. "You're so stubborn, you know?"

"Thanks Soren…I'm glad you believe in me."

Greil looked into Ike's dark blue eyes and saw nothing but determination. Greil let out a smirk as he shook his head. _There are some things he inherit from me…and there are some that he inherited from his mother, _he thought as he placed his hand on his wooden sword. "You're such an ass, Ike," Greil said as he got up from his seat. "Let's go outside, shall we?"

Ike smiled as he walked alongside his father to the outside. Mist continued to protest against them fighting, but she knew that once they had set their hearts to something, they wouldn't back out from it. Ike and Greil arrived at a forest clearing, away from their headquarters. Mist and Soren followed them. Greil looked over at the duo. "Soren, make sure that Mist doesn't get hurt."

"Yes, Commander," Soren replied as he took a hold of Mist's hand. "Don't let go."

"Ike, be careful!" Mist shouted.

Ike just smiled at his sister to reassure her that he was going to be okay. Ike's eyes trailed over to Soren who gave him a rare smile. Soren hardly ever smiled for anyone except for Ike and Mist. Just seeing Soren smiled lifted Ike's spirits a bit. Ike turned his attention over to his opponent. Taking out the wooden sword, Ike got into a ready position.

"Ike!" Greil shouted as he pointed at his son with his wooden sword. "You are going to be eighteen soon. Are you ready to join my mercenaries?"

"As ready as I'll ever be, Father!" Ike replied.

"Boy! If you can land one hit on me…you'll join our ranks!"

"I'll finally do it this time…I'm sure of it," Ike whispered to himself as he ran over to his father. He lifted his weapon up in the air as he struck down on his father. Greil parried with his sword then pushed Ike off from him. Ike let out a grunt as he charged at his father again. Father and son exchanged blow for blow, not allowing the other to hit against soft flesh. Mist cringed as he held Soren's hand tightly. All while the fighting went on, Soren tried to formulate a way for Ike to at least hit Greil once.

Greil swung his sword, hitting Ike right on the head. _That should be enough to…_Greil looked at his son in awe. Ike was still standing. His head was bleeding, but he was still standing. Ike smirked as he swung his wooden sword. Even though Ike didn't have much strength left, he managed to tap Greil's leg. "Heh…looks like I won this one," Ike chuckled before he blacked out on the ground.

It has been three days since Ike managed to land one hit against Greil. Greil merely chuckled as all of Ike's training had exhausted him. Yet, what was bothering Greil the most was the thought of what to do with Ike. He knew that his son was a strong warrior, but everyone who's entered Greil's mercenaries had a special task to do on their own. He was stumped at what to give his son as a "test".

"Commander?" a voice rang out. Greil looked behind his shoulder to see a young woman with long, crimson colored hair. She walked over to the commander. Her armor made soft sounds as she approached Greil. "Commander, have you decided on what to do with young Ike?"

"Not a clue, Titania…" Greil replied. "Even though I know what the boy can do, there is nothing that comes to mind on what to give him as a test."

"I'm sure whatever you can dish out won't be too hard on him," Titania said.

"I know…he is, after all, my son. Perhaps…" an idea struck the commander. "I think I got it. I found something that is challenging but quite simple in a way."

"What would that be?" Titania asked.

"Oh…you'll see, Titania. I will give him his test on his birthday."

"But sir…that's today!"

"I know! What better gift than the gift of manhood to give to a youth like him? I know that he will surely want to take this test as soon as possible now that he's of age."

Confused and rather worried, Titania tried to pursue the question further. However, Greil was a lock. He would not even say a single clue about what he planned to do with Ike. In one the kitchen, Mist had been busy preparing a cake for her brother. Oscar, one of the Greil's loyal men, was helping Mist by cooking a hardy stew for Ike's birthday. "I hope Ike likes this dinner," Mist said. "We're working very hard on it."

"I'm sure he'll love it, Mist," Oscar replied as he added in a bit of pepper into the stew. "Anything from you makes happy."

"Yeah…I just hope whatever Dad gives him is good."

Ike resided in his room. Due to orders from his father, he had the day off to relax and restore his strength. _I wonder what he means by that, _Ike thought as he played around with his hair. _Usually, if he says things like this, it means that I am to expect something. This can't be just a "relax" day. There is no such thing as a day off in this group._ Either way, Ike couldn't complain. He did enjoy relaxing once in a while, but today, he felt very restless. He wanted to go outside and spar with Boyd or Oscar, but he knew that he shouldn't.

He was still injured from his last fight against his father. Not only that, but he wouldn't hear the end of it from Mist. "Bored, bored, bored…" Ike let out as he rolled on his side. "I wonder where Soren is." Just then, the door to his room opened. Titania walked inside of Ike's room. She held her hands behind her, as if she were hiding something.

"Good afternoon, Ike," spoke the red headed warrior. "I hope you slept well."

"I slept okay," he replied. "Whatcha got behind your back?"

"Oh!" Titania pulled what appeared something wrapped like a bundle. "I was hoping to give this to you later…but I think you should take it already. You might want to look your best tonight. Oscar, Boyd, Rolf, and I got you these garments. We hope they are your size."

Ike looked down at his current wardrobe. He had a dirty blue tunic which was pretty much torn and dirtied with dried blood and mud. His pants, which were once a hue of cream were almost as dark as the dirt itself. Ike looked completely filthy beyond all reason. "I guess you're right," he replied as he took off his tunic. Upon seeing that, Titania scurried to the door and closed it behind her. Once she was gone, Ike undressed himself down to his tights. He unwrapped the bundle and looked at his new clothing.

His new tunic was a royal blue linen tunic with yellow trimmings. The tail was slightly longer than the rest of his uniform. The pair of pants that went with his new tunic was a shade of vanilla cream. Hidden in the bundle was a pair of boots. On the tip of his new boots were metal casings. Ike smiled as he donned his new clothing and walked out from his room.

The place seemed quieter than usual. _Usually Boyd would be arguing with Rolf, _Ike thought as he walked past the stone covered walls. The strong musky smell of the fort filled Ike's nostrils which causing the young man to let out a sneeze. He simply shook his head as he continued his walk. Just then, he saw Soren standing near the doorway to the dining hall.

The black haired mage fumbled with a piece of crimson cloth in his hands. He walked over to Ike and gave the ranger his gift. "Happy birthday, Ike," Soren said softly. "I hope you like it." Ike looked at the red cloth for a moment before he extended it out. The red cloth was a beautiful linen cape. Along with the red cape was a leather shoulder pad to hold the cape together.

"Soren, this is beautiful," Ike replied as he donned the cape and shoulder pad.

"Glad you like it," Soren said, "made the cape, myself. It wasn't an easy task, I tell you. As for the shoulder pad…I figured you'd need something to hold it."

"Thanks! This really is going with my new wardrobe. I wonder if I looked that filthy for everyone to give me new clothes."

Soren didn't reply. He merely just led Ike towards the dining hall where all the other mercenaries were. Food had been placed on the table. Ike smiled cheerfully as he took his seat next to Mist and Soren. However, Greil looked over at his son. "Ike," Greil's voice boomed. "Tonight you shall sit next to me and so will Mist. Titania, Shinon…you two wouldn't mind, would you?"

"Not at all, Commander," Titania replied.

"Whatever," Shinon replied as he got up from his seat. Ike and Mist took Titania's and Shinon's seats. Usually the siblings would only sit next to their father at the dining table if it was a special event, a serious proposition, or if, by some strange coincidence, that they were the only people in the fort.

"I see that you've equipped yourself well, Ike," Greil said.

"Well…I do appreciate the nice wardrobe," the young blunette replied.

"Now…I'm sure everyone has given their gifts to you. Now it is time for Mist and I to hand you ours. Mist, would you give your present to Ike?"

The young brunette girl took out from her little bag an ebony silk headband. Ike took the headband and smiled at his sister as he put it on. He thanked his sister by walking over to her seat and hugged her tightly. Mist giggled as she hugged her brother back. Greil let out a soft sigh as he pulled out a long sword. The blade of the sword looked like it was gilded. The hilt was a rich dark color.

"I don't know if you're ready for this sword," Greil said as he looked at the blade. "But when duty calls, one always has to be ready. This is the Regal Sword. It is a sword that has been passed down my bloodline for generations. It served me well in combat…and now, it's yours. Your grandfather handed this sword to me when I was your age. I think you should have it now."

Ike took the sword from his father and examined it. It was heavier than any sword he had ever used before. However, the blue haired youth managed to carry the sword with one hand. "It's kinda heavy…but not too much," Ike spoke.

"As a man, you are to take responsibilities for your actions," Greil spoke in a deep voice. "You will be charged with many difficult tasks while you work under my wing, pup. That is why…I have chose this day to see if you really are mercenary material. Ike…you are to one day lead my mercenaries. Should that day be soon, you'll have to prove to my forsaken soul that you have what it takes to take command. As a future leader, you'll need to mature. That is why your test will have to be this: you are to work as a lone mercenary for about a year."

"Be…a lone mercenary?" Ike asked.

"Commander, are you sure about this?" Titania asked.

"I am very certain. Ike, if you are to learn how it is to be a mercenary, you should do so on your own. To gain great leadership skills, you must work for a great lord that rules a prosperous country. Under his leadership, you shall learn everything you need to know about how the jobs handle here. Before I created this group, I was working on my own. I learned a great deal about the world around me. I think you should have that sort of experience as well."

"Very well, Father," Ike replied. "When do I start?"

"You shall start first thing in the morning. Once you leave these grounds, you are not to return here until a year later. Keep in contact with us at all times. Oh…and don't get yourself killed. Because if I were to die shortly after you pass away, your mother won't let me hear the end of it."

Ike chuckled slightly as he sheath the Regal Sword. "Alright! I'll be ready in the morning."

Mist's expression changed. The smile she had from hugging her brother washed away once she heard the announcement of what he must do next. However, Ike assured her that he would be alright. The rest of the evening, the blue haired mercenary tried his best to enjoy what would be his last day as a youth. That night, Ike didn't sleep much. A lot of things were running through his mind. He wasn't too sure of where to go or if he could find a great lord to work under. To keep his mind off things, Ike started to pack some of his belongings. He was sure to travel light, so the only things he took with him were a couple of vulnerary, some parchment, ink, his sack of gold, and a drawn portrait of his family.

When dawn approached, Ike was more than ready to leave. Soren handed him a couple of maps of foreign lands outside the laguz and beorc lands, a study book, and Ike's favorite storybook. Ike gave Soren a buddy hug before he walked off to say good bye to everyone else. Titania took the liberty to hand Ike some of her gold to him. Oscar managed to cook some food for the trip and hoped that it would last a while. Boyd and Rolf handed Ike a sack to keep heavier equipment.

"Where are you going, Ike?" Rolf asked.

"I don't know yet," Ike replied to the little green haired boy. "I need to find a great lord to work under apparently."

"If you go somewhere, bring me back something cool!"

"Eh, don't listen to that little shrimp," Boyd said as he ruffled Rolf's hair. "He's just yammering on. Anyway…can you bring me back something if you go to an exotic place?"

"Boyd…I'm not going on a vacation," Ike responded.

"Now, now," Oscar said as he joined his brothers. "Ike has a lot of important things to do. He's got to make sure he's got everything he needs. By the way…if you happen to find some exotic spices and all…that would be nice."

Ike just sighed as he left the green haired trio to their bickering over who sound the most immature. Shinon didn't even bother to say good bye to Ike, however, Gatrie was more appreciative than his companion. Gatrie inspected Ike's equipment to see if everything was going right. After he made sure Ike was okay, Gatrie patted the young man's back and sent him on his way. Rhys, the healer of the group, had been sitting in the library. Within his frail hands was a small charm.

"Ike," Rhys spoke as he handed him the charm. "This charm will protect you from dark magic. I'm sure you'll make use of it."

"Thanks Rhys," Ike said as he patted the healer's shoulder. "With your protective magic, I'll do just fine."

All that was left was to say good bye to his sister and father. Ike had a vague idea of where Mist was. The blue haired warrior walked towards the front door of the fort. Standing by the doorway was Mist. Mist had her eyes locked on the ground. She sniffed as she tried to hold in the tears that were threatening to fall. Ike approached his sister and kneeled before her to take a look at her face. "Mist, don't worry about me," Ike said softly. "I've been known to withstand anything."

"But brother…" Mist whimpered, "you're going to be away for a very long time. A whole year off on your own? What if something happens to you? What if we lose you too?"

"Mist…"

"I won't allow it! I won't!"

"Mist," Ike said as he placed his hands on Mist's. "Nothing is going to happen to me. I promise that I will come back to you in one piece."

"You promise you'll come back?" Mist asked as she looked up at her brother. Her soft green eyes were red and puffy as the tears trailed down her cheeks. "I don't want you to die!"

"I'm not going to die. I promise I'll come back. If I don't…you can kill me."

"You…you're such a dork…" Mist giggled a bit as she hugged Ike. Ike let out a soft smile as he hugged his sister back tightly.

"Yeah, but I'm your dork, remember?"

"Aww…ain't that sweet?" Greil cooed. "Brother and sister hugging. Anyway, have you said your good byes yet, Ike? Remember…once you set foot outside of these premises, you won't be allowed in until one year later. Make sure you take everything you need."

"Don't worry, Father," Ike spoke as he released his sister and got up from the ground. "I'm ready to go. I just needed to say my farewell to you."

Greil placed a hand on Ike's shoulder. "Ike…you're a strong man. I've taught you well and now it's time for us to see what you can do out in the real world. I know when you get back, you'll be a strong warrior. I'll miss you a great deal. You're an okay kid."

"And you're an okay dad," Ike replied as both him and his father walked out the door. "I don't know where to go…but I'll find work! I'll be back a different man." Ike walked through the courtyard and pass the gate. He looked over his shoulder to see the entire mercenary group plus Rolf and Mist in the courtyard. The blue haired mercenary waved to his companions as he walked down the dirt road and disappeared into the forest. Even though he'd been out in the wilderness a lot, this was the very first time Ike was alone. He felt a bit nervous, but brushed any feelings for anxiety away.

Across the ocean passed the Crimean country lays a kingdom in which a new world seems to have been built. The kingdom of Hyrule is a kingdom that has been living in peace for decades now. It had seen its far share of wars, but since the great wars of Hyrule, everything had been settled diplomatically. King Harken of Hyrule, the current king, had signed many treaties with Hyrule's neighboring kingdoms. The biggest and most important treaty would be the treaty between Hyrule Kingdom and the Gerudo Desert. The Gerudo Desert is a kingdom in which women usually ruled. However, every one hundred years, a male heir would be take the thrown and become king.

Ganondorf is the current king of the Gerudo. Without much obligation, he signed the treaty of peace with King Harken, however, Harken's daughter was not convinced. Hyrule's only heir to the thrown, Princess Zelda Hyrule, is a fair and just princess. She was known to have prophecies, but many have disregarded her ability. Only Impa, Zelda's nanny and bodyguard believed her.

However, even though Hyrule was at a time of peace, assassins have been sent in Hyrule to kidnap and/or assassinate the princess. Visions appeared before Zelda as a sign that dark times are coming to Hyrule. She sent out her most trusted hero, Link to search out the land…but he has yet to return. It has been four months since his disappearance.

Ike had been traveling for over two months. The blue haired mercenary had been doing meager jobs such as escort missions for merchants and chasing off bandits for farmers. He had been asking around if anyone knew of a kingdom which had a great lord he could work under of. The people have recommended Ike to work underneath Lord Hector of Ostia. When Ike had approached Hector, he was merely told that Hector didn't need any more guards, knights, or spies. More importantly, Hector was protective of his daughter, Lilina, the future marquess of Ostia.

Having no luck in Lycia, Ike left those shores and headed towards the west. Eventually, Ike had reached plains of Hyrule. Ike had encountered people he's never seen before: Hylians. The people had elfin type ears. Sure, Ike has encountered all types of laguz and beorc in his life, but he's never seen Hylians before. The first place Ike had reached was the castle town market. As soon as he walked into the town, Ike earned a lot of stares from the people. They have never seen a man with cobalt locks and such round ears before.

The young mercenary tried not to stare back at them. He was so amazed by the elfin people that he almost completely forgot about going to the castle. The air was filled with cheery music and the smell of pastries. People danced on the paved ground. A little girl ran past Ike as she tried to catch a chicken. A young woman with medium red hair approached Ike. Her soft blue eyes sparkled as she tugged on Ike's crimson cape. "Excuse me," she said softly.

"Oh, hi!" Ike replied.

"Are you new here?"

"Yeah…I'm new here. I'm not from this part of the world."

"I can tell. My name is Malon. My father, Talon owns Lon Lon Ranch, which is the ranch outside the town market. I came here in search of my father…he went to deliver some milk to the castle and hasn't been seen since. I was wondering if you can help me find him."

"Sure thing, I'll help you," Ike replied. "I was on my way to the castle."

As both Malon and Ike were busy talking to each other, a shady figure was hiding in the shadows. Two ruby colored eyes were locked on Ike's silhouette. "So…it is true," the figure spoke in a soft, dark tone. "It's just like the prophecy stated. The cerulean cloud has appeared in Hyrule. Now…dark times are sure to approach."

As Ike and Malon headed towards the direction of the castle, a hooded figure watched them. He slowly followed the pair. Within the hooded man's grasps was a bloodied dagger. In one fast movement, the figure grabbed Malon. He pressed the bloodied dagger against her soft neck. "Listen here, girl," the man spoke. "You have access to the castle, don't ya? Now be a good girl and take me inside."

"Malon!" Ike let out. "Let her go!"

"Not until I go into the castle…I am not here to take this girl's life, but if she so much as screams I'll slice her throat. Now you…you better be good too. If you try anything funny I'll kill her right on the spot."

"You cowardly…"

"Ike…it's okay," Malon said. "I'll take you to the castle…just don't involve Ike in this."

"Good girl…now let's walk."

At that moment, a stray dagger pierced the air and managed to run through the assailant's neck. The assassin fell on the ground in an instant. Blood spread on the ground. Just then a guard managed to catch the assassin fall on the ground. "Stop right there!" The guard shouted at Ike. "You've committed a great offence. You are under arrest for murder!"

"I didn't kill him," Ike protested. "I don't know where that dagger came from, but I can assure you that I didn't do it."

"Mister guard…don't…" Malon said softly.

"You're coming with me to the dungeons!" The guard shouted as both him and his partner approached Ike. "Put down your weapon and come quietly." One of the guards placed their hand upon the Regal Sword. As soon as he touched the sword, Ike jerked away. He didn't want to cause trouble, but he didn't want his sword to be taken away. "Not going to go quietly, eh? Take him down!"

The left guard lunged at Ike, however the blue haired warrior dodged out of the way. "Is he really that slow?" Ike asked. However, Ike didn't have time to react as the right guard swung his lance at the mercenary. Ike pushed the lance away from him and gave the guard a swift kick in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him.

"Officer down! Send in backup!" shouted the left guard. Upon that moment, more guards approached Ike. Ike ran over to the market stands. The townspeople began to scream as they ran away from the strange foreigner. Ike tripped over one of the stands which sold pottery. The mercenary picked up one of the pots and threw it at the guards. Two of them fell over taking down two other guards. Ike picked up another pot, slid from the stand and placed the pot on top of an unsuspecting guard's head. The guard tried to take off the pot from his head, but apparently it was stuck.

Ike pushed the poor guard over, knocking over three guards. Another guard jumped on Ike and wrapped his arms around the mercenary. "I got you now, brat!" shouted the guard. Using his strength, Ike managed to flip the guard off from his body. He placed his foot on the guard's chest.

"Don't ever call me, 'brat'," Ike spoke as he applied pressure.

"Gotcha…" wheezed the guard. At that moment, two guards managed to knock Ike down on the ground. Three others tackled him on the ground until they complete constraint him. The captain of the guard, Viscen, approached Ike. He placed the end of his lance up against Ike's throat.

"You're quite troublesome," the captain of the guard said. "But that's quite enough. Take him to the dungeons! We'll discuss his punishment from there."

"Captain Viscen!" Malon shouted as she tugged on the guard's arm. "Please let Ike go. He didn't kill that man."

"If he didn't…then who did?"

"I…I don't know. All I know is that he saved me from that assassin."

"Even if he did save you, Miss Malon, he did assault not one…but twelve officers. He will still have to face those consequences. The only way for him to actually be acquitted of all his charges would have to be a pardon from Princess Zelda herself. Take him away." The guards dragged Ike from the grounds of the castle town market and threw him into the dark, murky dungeon. There was hardly any light at all and a pungent smell emitted from the walls and ground. Whatever or whoever was in his cell certainly didn't have a good end to him.

Scratches on the wall indicated that his predecessor counted the days away to keep himself from going crazy. "Some start for me," Ike said. "Two months into this thing and I'm already a convict. What's worse is that they took away my sack and sword. Dad is going to kill me if he ever finds out about this…that is if I managed to somehow live through this."

"Heh…you're quite a troublesome sort," spoke a soft voice. "If I've known any better I would have guess you were some sort of a hired sword."

Ike looked around his cell to see who was talking to him. When he was confirmed that no one was in his cell, he looked through the bars. At that moment, a slender figure fell from the ceiling. It appeared to be a young, slender man who wore a tight blue suit. He had bandages over his fingers and around his head to conceal his identity. Rouge blond hair almost covered his ruby eyes. What was very strange about the man was the strange symbol upon his chest.

"Who are you?" Ike asked.

"My name is Sheik," Sheik spoke, "I am of the Sheikah tribe. I am one of Princess Zelda's guardians. I know you didn't kill that man…I did."

"You?"

"Yes…I'm here to get you out. However…because I am not Princess Zelda I can not pardon you for your assault on the guards."

"Then…how are you gonna get me out?" Ike asked.

"Easy…I am going to open this cell for you…however, if you want a pardon you are to see Princess Zelda. She will be in her usual spot which is the castle courtyard. You're going to have to sneak past the guards to get to it. Once you're in the courtyard, you are to show Zelda respect. Believe all that she says…because the princess speaks the truth."

"What are you going to do? If you're a guardian…why can't you just take me to the princess?"

"Because I am an undercover agent. The guards aren't suppose to know that I exist," Sheik took out a lock pick from his turban and opened the cell door. "Off you go. We will meet again." Sheik took out some Deku Nuts from his back pocket and threw them on the ground. A white flash blinded Ike for a split second. Once his sight came too, Sheik was gone. The mercenary wasn't too sure if he should trust Sheik or not. But since the cell door was open, he might as well try to get out of the castle.

Ike slipped into the shadows as he moved from hallway to hallway. He peered down the hallway, making sure that no one would catch him. Once the coast was clear, he ran through the hallways and hid by one of the doorways. Even though Ike was quite evasive, he could not escape the watchful eyes of another dark silhouette. Ike looked out at one of the windows and saw a faint figure. "I wonder if that's the courtyard?" Ike asked himself. He scurried through the hallways to find the door that led to the garden. Once he found it he quickly ducked down by one of the hedges. A lone guard passed by the hedge and looked over the hedge. Ike had to press himself against the hedge to hide himself from the guard.

Once the guard confirmed himself that the coast was clear, he walked off to inspect other parts of the garden. Ike crawled on the ground, sidling hedge to hedge. Once he made it to a clearing, Ike got up on his feet and ran in. he managed to reach the courtyard which was surrounded by a water. Flowers bloomed beautifully. Standing in front of Ike was a woman with fair skin. Her long blond hair was tied together in a semi braid. Her light blue eyes shimmered like the water that day. Her pink dress was a calm shade of rose. Upon her apron was the strange symbol he saw all over this place.

"I've been waiting for you," the young woman said. "…and I have seen you in my dreams, Cerulean Cloud."

_Wow…this has been one of the longest chapters I've ever written. I hope this was an okay beginning. For those that don't know the characters that speak to Ike in the beginning of this story, they are from his game._

_Chapter Two: Zelda, the Great Lord_

_-"I am Zelda, princess of Hyrule. What is your name, warrior_"


	2. Chapter 2: Zelda, the Great Lord

-1_Well, here we go with another chapter. I hope this one turns out okay as well. _

**A Hero's Creed**

**Chapter Two: Zelda, the Great Lord**

Ike stood baffled at the beautiful woman before him. The elfin maiden extended her hand. "Forgive me," she said softly. "It was quite rude of me to blurt that out loud. Not to mention, I have not introduced myself. I am Zelda, princess of Hyrule. What is your name, warrior?"

"I-Ike," Ike replied as he bowed before Zelda.

"There is no need for that," Zelda replied. "Please, get up."

"Princess Zelda," Ike said, "I was thrown in the dungeon. Someone by the name of Sheik came in and released me by your orders. What is this all about? Why did you summon me?"

"Ike…what I am about to tell you is something you should keep secret," Zelda said as she placed her hands on Ike's. "Please…believe in what I am about to tell you. For years, this has been troubling me."

"I…I guess I'll try," Ike said. "I'll listen to anything you tell me."

Zelda smiled sweetly at the blue haired mercenary. "Thank you, Ike," she said softly as she closed her blue orbs. "You are not from here, are you?"

"No," Ike shook his head. "I'm from another continent located in the east far away from here. I traveled a great length to find a great lord to serve under. I am a mercenary."

"I figured that," Zelda replied. "Then you are not familiar to our legend. Let me tell you our kingdom's legend. There was once three goddess whom created this land. Din, the goddess of power made the rich earth. Nayru, the goddess of wisdom made the skies and the law in which life will hold upon. Last there is Farore, the goddess of courage who made life. When they finished, all three goddess parted from this world to rest upon the heavens. They left a fragment of their power called the Triforce. The Triforce is hidden in a place known as the Sacred Realm. There is only one way to get to the realm…"

"And how's that?" Ike asked.

"Only a song would be able to open the Door of Time in which the Sacred Realm can be opened," Zelda said. "However, the Door of Time has already been opened. The last hero, Link, opened the Door of Time and took the Master Sword, the evil destroying sword. He was once my guardian…but ever since he left, I have not heard from him in over four months. I worry about him. Either way…since Link opened the Door of Time, the Triforce was split into three pieces.

"I ended up with the Triforce of Wisdom," Zelda said as she moved her hand. Upon her gloved hand, a golden triangle showed up. One of the pieces glowed brighter than the others. "I am to guard it with all my life. Link has the Triforce of Courage…and the last piece, the Triforce of Power…is with Ganondorf. The treasure he has been wanting the most was the Triforce and so far he has one third of it. That is why I am worried about Link…he's in danger of being killed."

"Do you want me to look for him or something?" Ike asked. "Is that why you called me?"

Zelda shook her head. "That is not the main reason why I called you," Zelda said. "Let me tell you my dreams. Ever since I was a young girl, I've had nothing but prophecies. I dream about events that are about to happen. I dreamt about Link opening the Door of Time and about Ganondorf's ascent into power. In my dream…I saw the land of Hyrule be covered in complete darkness. Out of nowhere…a blue light shines and destroys the black clouds. The light soon turns into a figure of a cerulean haired man wielding a sword that was engulfed in flames. I don't know why…but when I saw you in the market town, I knew that you were that light. I had a feeling about you. Does this make sense to you, Ike?"

"I guess it does…" Ike replied as he scratched his head.

"You…you must thinking I'm crazy…don't you?"

"Nope! Not at all!" Ike smiled. "I think you might have some sort of a gift. If you dreamt about me coming here and all…than it must be true. I don't know if it is destiny or not…but I believe you."

"Ike…thank you so much," Zelda said as she smiled back at him. "You sound just like him…like Link when he was my guardian."

"Either way…I'll be here to serve you, princess. What exactly do you want me to do?"

"I want you to be my guardian," Zelda said. "I need you to protect Hyrule as well as myself."

"I will do that…but…the guards took my sword. If its not too much trouble, I would like to have it back. It was a gift from my father and it is the only weapon I had."

"Very well then," Zelda said as she clapped her hands. "Sheik, do you have it, dear?" In a matter of moments, a shadow fell from the sky and landed next to Princess Zelda. Sheik rose up from the ground and bowed to Zelda. In his grasps was the Regal Sword. Ike smiled as he nodded his head.

"I got the sword back, like I promised," Sheik said as he extended his arms, handing the sword to Zelda. Ike rose one of his eyebrows as he listened to Sheik's voice. _That's odd, _he thought, _he sounds very different. Not to mention, he looks different too. He looks like he gained a little bit of weight…and his hair is longer? Or maybe I didn't quite catch what he looked like with his hair in the dark._

"Oh, please give it to Ike," Zelda said.

"As you wish, Your Majesty," Sheik said as he walked over to Ike and gave the sword to Ike. Ike took it.

"Thanks a lot, Sheik," Ike said as he strapped the sword down. "Thanks a lot for helping me get out of the dungeon. I really owe you one." Upon hearing him talk, Sheik let out a confused look upon his covered face. "Seriously, I owe you one. Anyway…did you put on weight while I was gone. You look a bit chubbier than I remembered. Not to mention…I wasn't too sure if your hair was long or short, I couldn't tell. Plus your voice seems a little lighter." Ike poked Sheik's chest area. He noticed that they were kind of soft, even though they were strapped down.

Sheik's ruby colored eyes widen as he felt quite violated by the actions. He slapped Ike's hand away from his belly. "Listen here you," Sheik hissed. "I don't know what you're after, but let me tell you this! You shouldn't touch a woman's breasts! And you shouldn't tell them that they have gained weight. What's the matter with you? I've never seen you before in my life."

"What?" Ike let out. "You're a woman?!"

Sheik growled as she let out a huge slap across Ike's face. "You bastard!" Sheik shouted. "Have you any manners?! Princess Zelda, I don't think this man should be your guardian! He's nothing like Link! Link was had more manners than him plus he looked cuter!"

"Sheik," Zelda said in a calm manner. "Don't be so hasty. I don't know much about this young man's manners, but if what I dreamt up was true, then he is the one who will help us in our time of need."

"I am not against you Princess Zelda, but wasn't Link suppose to be the one? The one who will defeat the evil and bring order to our world?"

"That is what I have dreamt," Zelda said, "but for some reason…I can not see him anymore. I fear…that he…"

"Don't say that!" Sheik shouted. "I'm sure he's alive somewhere and he will be back." Sheik glared at Ike before she turned her attention back to the princess. "When Link returns, he can continue protecting this land and he will defeat Ganondorf."

"Is this Ganondorf guy really that bad?" Ike asked as he sat on the grassy ground. "Has he really done terrible things?"

"No…" Zelda replied as she looked away from the mercenary. "I've only seen it in my visions of what he will do. He hasn't done anything yet. So far, he has pledged his allegiance to my father, the king."

"If he hasn't done anything…what makes you so sure that he will do anything?"

Zelda kept her vision averted from Ike. "My dreams have never been wrong," she said softly. "You have to believe me. I know he hasn't done anything…but he will make a tremendous move. So far…assassins have been coming to Hyrule. All of them have been trying to kill me or try to kidnap me. Sheik and Impa, my nanny, have been protecting me but I fear they can't hold them off for long."

"Have you told your father about this?" Ike asked.

"Yes…" Zelda faced Ike. "but he doesn't believe me. No matter how many times I tell him about that dream, he won't believe. He just tells me that I just feel very uncomfortable around Ganondorf and that, that should change since he is now an ally of Hyrule. But I can feel it…he has a dark aura around him. If you saw him…you can tell it in his eyes that he is not sincere about being loyal to my kingdom."

"I really don't know what to say," Ike replied as he looked at Zelda. "Now I'm starting to think that you are probably imagining it."

"Don't say that!" Sheik shouted as she hit Ike on the head. "First you get into trouble and now after Princess Zelda gets you out from the dungeon and all, you decide to not believe her after you swore that you would? What kind of a man are you?"

"Sheik, that's enough," Zelda said.

"Yes…Your Highness," Sheik said as she bowed at the princess.

"Ike doesn't have to believe me…but it would help. I thought he would after all…I was going to pardon him and have him work under me…but…"

"Ah!" Ike let out as he got up from the grass. "I believe you! It's just that…it will take me a while to adjust to it. I do want to work under you."

Zelda just smiled as she saw Ike get worked up. She placed a hand on his shoulder. "Ike…bow down…and may I borrow your sword?" Zelda asked. Ike took out his Regal Sword and gave it to Princess Zelda. Zelda smiled as she took the sword and raised it over Ike's head. She slowly brought it down on his left shoulder. "I now knight you," Zelda spoke as she moved the sword to Ike's right shoulder. "Now arise, Sir Ike. You are now one of my knights. You are a secret guardian who will dedicate his life in protecting this land. I will have my nanny and guardian, Impa take you to a place where you can stay. Once you have accommodated yourself, you should report back here."

Ike took his Regal Sword back from Zelda and placed it in its sheath. He sensed someone was looking at him from behind him. He turned around to see eye-to-eye to an elderly woman with light cyan hair. Her eyes were of a ruby color, much like Sheik's. Upon the breast area of her suit was the same eye symbol that was on Sheik's chest. Her body suit was a dark cobalt color. Hidden behind her back was a kodachi.

"You are quite a bold one for coming here," Impa said as she looked over at Ike. "What you heard from Princess Zelda is true. Dark times are approaching us fast. I will be here to train you to become a stronger hero. I hope you will be ready for my training. The Hero of Time had a bit of trouble with my training, but he accomplished it. Now…if you please follow me, I'll show you to your room."

"Thanks Impa," Ike replied as he followed the older woman. As the two warrior walked through the hallways, something was bugging Ike in the back of his head. He wasn't too sure if he should be working under Princess Zelda. At first he thought it was all some sort of a ruse when she told him her dream. Now it seemed like she might be crazy in his opinion. Impa looked back to see the young mercenary with a look of confusion.

"Is there something you want to ask me?" Impa asked.

"Yeah…why are you doing this?" Ike replied. "Aren't you even questioning it?"

"I questioned it after she told me the first time. It was that day, that I gained all confidence in the princess' power to see the future. When she told me about a hero and a dark omen were to approach us. That very day, Link came to the castle. He told us where he came from and soon worked for the princess. That evening…the princess was attacked by a fierce beast. The Hero of Time killed the beast and it was then that I saw it…the dark cloud that haunted the princess' dream. If you were to see that man, you'll know what we are talking about. I felt his dark aura…and I knew that the monster Link killed was a servant from him."

"I want to believe you," Ike said. "I just hope I get to see it myself. I suppose…not everyone can be crazy. Either way, I'll protect Princess Zelda, no matter what."

Impa continued walking. Her mind was full of thoughts as she approached a wooden door that was hidden in a dark corridor. She took out a key from her pockets and unlocked the door. "This corridor is where Sheik and I stay," Impa said, "Your room will be here too. No one ever dares to come to these corridors so you will not be spotted. You are to make yourself scarce. The king does not believe Zelda's words, so having you around as her personal guard will only rise question. Say that you are my apprentice only and not a knight."

"Understood…Mistress," replied Ike.

"Good. Now, Sheik managed to bring get your equipment from the guards that locked you up. When you have a chance you should thank both her and Princess Zelda for giving your belongs back and a place to stay. Once you settled down and rested a bit, we will begin our training. There is much I have to teach you before you can be a proper knight. Are there any questions."

"Yeah…what happened to Malon?" Ike asked.

"The young ranch girl has been informed about your pardon, however she is not to speak of it. She managed to find her father sleeping outside of the castle wall. If you stroll over there and see him, please wake him up as soon as possible. That girl worries a lot about him."

"Will do so."

"No…if you excuse me…I have to tend to the princess," Impa took out a deku nut from her pocket, raised her hand in the air and threw it down at the ground. The light blinded Ike for a couple of moments. As soon as he regained his sight, Impa was nowhere in sight. The blue haired mercenary opened the door to his room and walked in. His room looked almost like his old room back inside of the base, with the exception of having a small fire place for him. The walls were stone as well as the floor. A dusty rug laid in the middle of the room, next to his bumpy looking bed.

On the bed, was his sack. He quickly opened the sack and found everything that belonged to him. He pulled out the picture of his family and let out a sigh of relief. _Thank goodness its here, _he thought as he placed the picture on top of the small end table at the side of his bed. Ike stretched as he took off his red cape. _Might as well, _he thought as he folded his cape and placed it on top of a chest which was at the front of his bed. He jumped on the bed and laid there for a moment. His eyelids were beginning to grow heavy. Soon sleep enveloped Ike.

In his dream, Ike saw himself in a field filled with nothing but tall grass. Out in the distance, he saw a dark cloud heading his way. Ike took out the Regal Sword, but it disappeared in his hands. "What the hell?" He said as he stood weaponless in front of the cloud. Slowly the dark began to engulf the mercenary. He tried to scream, but nothing came out.

Just as hope seemed lost, a bright light tore through the cloud. A light green light followed by a light blue light approached Ike. Both lights stood in front of him as they fought off the cloud. As he continued to look at the lights, silhouettes soon formed. There were people he had never seen before. They were two young man dressed in blue and green. However, his vision was getting blurry and Ike couldn't keep his eyes opened. He felt sharp pricks touch his cheek.

"Ike…Ike…" a voice rang out through the darkness.

"Huh…who's there?" Ike asked softly.

"Ike, wake up you lazy bum!"

Ike woke up with his cerulean eyes wide open. In front of him was a rather annoyed Sheik. The Sheikah woman shook her head. "Honestly," she spat, "for a hero, you sure are lazy!"

"What are you doing?" Ike asked as he sat right up.

"Easy…I came to get you. Impa has been waiting for two hours now. So I found you sleeping on your first day on the job. Some hero you're gonna make. I hope Zelda would reconsider hiring you."

Ike didn't want to respond to that one. He knew that if he said anything, he wouldn't hear the end of it from Sheik. Either way, he didn't want to ruin his first day on the job by getting into a brawl with one of Zelda's guardians. Ike leapt out of bed and followed Sheik down the hallway. Both warriors scurried through the shadows, as to remain undetected. Sheik led Ike back to the Castle Courtyard, where Zelda and Impa stood waiting. Princess Zelda was now sitting down on a chair next to a table which had an umbrella. She and Impa were busy drinking tea.

"Ike!" Zelda said. "So good of you to arrive. I hope you like your room."

"It's nice," Ike replied. "Sorry to keep you up, Impa. I kinda fell asleep."

"That's alright," Impa said as she took a sip of tea. "You looked rather tired. Either way…if you really are fatigued, then you should rest. I wouldn't want you to pass out during our training or anything."

"No way!" Ike shouted. "I'm ready for your training!"

Impa eyed the young man. "You think you're ready?"

"Of course!" Ike replied as he took out his sword. "Don't treat me like a child! I can do anything! I know your training can't be as hard as the training my father has done with me."

Impa looked at the princess then at Sheik and smirked. Sheik smirked back through her covered face. Impa placed her cup of tea down on the table. "You think you're ready for training? Heh…that's what I like to hear. And you think it isn't as difficult as your father's? Now, I have to see what you are capable of doing." Impa got up from her seat and bowed at Zelda. "If you excuse us," Impa spoke, "we have some training to do. I'm going to teach Ike here, what it means to be a guardian to you."

"Please don't drive him too hard," Zelda replied. "I would still like to have a guardian and hero."

"Don't worry, Princess Zelda," Impa smiled. "I'll bring him back alive, that I guarantee you. Bringing him back conscious…that I'm not too sure. Let's go Sheik…Ike." Ike let out a scowl before he followed the two Sheikan women. Just as he was about to leave the courtyard, Zelda took a hold of Ike's hand. She gave him a small golden charm.

"What's this?" Ike asked.

"It's a protect charm," Zelda said, "this was blessed by our goddesses to protect you from harm. Please, take care of it."

Ike looked at the little charm. It was a golden circle which had the Triforce embedded in it. He smiled sweetly at Zelda before he wore it around his neck. "I'll take good care of it," Ike said, "Oh and Zelda…you're not crazy. I…believe you fully now."

Zelda drew a blank stare at Ike before her face turned into a sweet smile. "Thank you," she whispered sweetly back to him. Ike waved good bye at Zelda before he caught up with Sheik and Impa. The two Sheikahs led Ike to the grassy field, leaving them isolated from any life. Impa looked over to the east and pointed over to the mountain.

"We are going to Kakariko," she said. "Let's hurry on now! I would like to be back at the palace before twilight sets in."

Impa and Sheik ran ahead of Ike in the direction of Kakariko Village. Ike hurried to catch up to the two Sheikan women, but they were rather too quick for his hefty body to really reach up to them. He ran up the stairs and entered a small but quaint village. There wasn't much besides from the many houses that were built on the hill. A large windmill gently moved to the wind's dance. Standing beneath a tree were the two women. Sheik had her hands on her hips. "You're so slow, Ike!" Sheik barked. "You'll never be able to protect the princess if you're so sluggish."

Ike just glared at Sheik and tried to ignore her complete. His full attention was at Impa. "I'm ready for your first lesson, Mistress Impa," Ike said as he took out his sword.

"Glad to see your enthusiasm," Impa said, "but it will take more than that to actually get through the day. Now before I begin your first lesson, I need to see what you can do. You will spar against Sheik. If you can beat her, I'll let you fight against me. If you can beat me, you will not need my training, is that clear?"

"Crystal," Ike replied as he readied his blade.

"Sheik," Impa said as she turned her attention to her apprentice, "you will fight with all your might against Ike. Don't let up…but whatever you do, don't kill him. I wouldn't want another accident with the other apprentice I had."

"Yes, Auntie Impa," Sheik responded.

"Auntie Impa?" Ike let out.

"Yeah…Impa is my aunt, you have a problem with that?"

"No…not at all…I just didn't know."

"Well, now you know something from me. That will probably be the only thing you'll get from me."

"Sheik…" Impa said. "Fight with your fist, not with your words. Now go fight him!"

"Yes, ma'am!" Sheik pulled out eight daggers and held them in between her fingers. She threw her first hand at Ike. Ike managed to move out the way from three daggers. The fourth dagger managed to cut through his red cape, leaving quite a tare. Ike scowled as he saw the damage to his cape. _Soren is going to kill me, _he thought. However, Ike wasn't paying attention at the upcoming Sheikah.

Sheik ran up to Ike and delivered a swift kick up against his jaw. The hit of the impact managed to push the mercenary back, but not enough to knock him down. Ike swung his blade trying to hit Sheik. Sheik dodged out of the way and slid underneath Ike, leaving the mercenary baffled. She got up on her feet and got out her chained whip. In one movement, Sheik whipped Ike's rump. Ike let out a squeal he never thought he could let out as he took a hold of his butt and massaged it.

"What's the matter?" Sheik teased as she whipped him again. "Is the tough mercenary unable to handle a few lashes? Will you not be able to sit any time soon? Though I have to admit, I didn't think you could sing."

Ike growled as he managed to kick Sheik's side. Sheik held onto her side as she tried to regain her breath. Ike took this opportunity to swing his sword at an angle aimed at Sheik's rump. He managed to smack the Sheikah with the flat part of the blade of the sword, creating a large SMACK sound. Sheik let out a yelp as she grabbed her butt and began to massage it. "What's the matter?" Ike said in a joking matter. "I thought Miss Tough Girl can handle a few butt smacks? Not to nice when its on the other foot, huh?"

"You jerk!" Sheik shouted as she delivered a kick to Ike's head. Upon impact, Sheik noticed that she didn't even make Ike flinch. Ike used his strength and delivered a head butt against Sheik's head. The blow knocked Sheik on the ground. However, she regained her composer and jumped up on the ground. The ruby eyed Sheikah jumped up against the mountain wall and began to throw daggers. It was quite difficult for Ike to dodge the daggers. One of them managed to pierce his right shoulder. Ike let out a snarl as he tried to take out the dagger. Blood trailed down his muscular arm. Another dagger flew through the air and barely missed his face. His cheek was cut open enough for blood to trail down his face.

Sheik jumped from the wall and flew towards Ike. Ike readied his weapon to attack Sheik, however, in mid air, she disappeared. Ike looked around him. Sheik appeared behind Ike and elbowed him from behind followed by two swift kicks to his back. Ike quickly turned around and punched Sheik in the face. Sheik let out a yelp as she held her face. She snorted a bit as she felt liquid trickle down her nose. She knew what it was the moment it touched her lips.

Apparently, Ike managed to break some of the cartilage in Sheik's nose, causing her to bleed. Sheik shook a bit before she began an assault of fists and feet. Ike stood there, taking in all the damage the Sheikan maiden would dish out. Through the pain of it all, he just gritted his teeth and bore it all. Sheik suddenly stopped as she noticed that Ike wasn't even flinching anymore. His cerulean locks covered his eyes as he looked down at the ground.

"You think all this is enough to take me down?" Ike asked as he slowly moved his face. His blue eyes were locked into Sheik's ruby eyes. "I've dealt with worse." Ike let out a yell before he swung his sword. The first blow managed to cut through Sheik's body suit and bandage. The suit opened up and showed some of her concealed breasts. The second blue knocked Sheik down on the ground. Just as she was about to get up, Ike placed the tip of the Regal Sword beneath her chin. "I think you've had enough," he said in a gruff voice.

"Heh…" Sheik smirk underneath her bloodied bandages. "You obvious don't know me very well…" Sheik slowly reached into her pockets and pulled out a deku nut. She threw it at Ike, stunning the mercenary momentarily. When he regained consciousness, Sheik was out of his sight. Without a moment to react, Ike was down on the ground and out. Sheik had managed to get on the wall once more behind Ike and knocked him out when she jumped and landed on him. "I don't think you're ready yet," Sheik said. "Auntie Impa, how was that?"

"That was quite interesting," Impa replied. "I have to admit, Ike did pretty well. Perhaps a little too well for a beginner. I can see that his father trained him well."

"Well…I knew that he…" Sheik stopped at mid sentence. A hard blow against the back part of his head knocked the Sheikah down on the ground. Hovering over her was Ike. He huffed heavily as he staggered to keep his balance. He fell down on his knees. Only his sword managed to keep him hoisted up.

"I…won't lose," Ike said. "Now fight me!"

Impa looked directly into Ike's eyes and saw nothing but pure rage. She could tell that nothing she says to him will ever change his mind. _Just like him, _she thought, _I saw those eyes before._ Taking out her kodachi, Impa readied an attack. Ike got up from the ground, staggering to keep his balance. He raised his sword and waited for Impa to move.

Sheik let out a soft moan as she slowly managed to bring herself up. She looked at Impa who was currently standing over an unconscious Ike on the ground. Impa looked at her young apprentice and smiled. "Well, that was quite a show," Impa said as she sheath her kodachi. "I have to admit he was strong enough to stand up at least, but I knew he wasn't up for taking me out."

"I can't believe I let him do that to me!" Sheik shouted as she glared at Ike. "That Ike…he's a pervert. Look what he did to my suit!" Sheik stretched out her suit to reveal the bare flesh that was exposed due to the sword slash. "Now everyone can see part of my breasts!"

Impa just shook her head. "I'll sew it up as soon as we go back to the palace," Impa said. "Now…Sheik will you be a dear and pick Ike up. I don't think he will be getting up soon and we need to go back to the palace. Princess Zelda is probably dining right now and we need to be there before she heads off to bed."

"Do I have to carry him?" Sheik asked. "Can't he stay out here where he belongs?"

"No…now pick him up and do hurry. The sun is setting, meaning the gates will close soon."

Without another complaint, Sheik managed to hoist Ike up. His arm was placed around her shoulders while her left arm was wrapped around his waist. In a matter of moments, Sheik and Impa dashed across the grassy plains. The two women barely made the gate just as it was about to close. Sheik let out a sigh of relief as she continued to dash through the now empty town market.

As if they were the wind, Impa and Sheik dashed through the guarded entrance of the castle and through the guarded courtyard. Just as they were passing the hallways, Ike stirred a little. His eyes hovered from the ground to a pair of breasts. He let out a moan, alarming Sheik that Ike woke up. She looked down to see Ike staring at her breasts. Sheik let out a yell as she stopped running, managed to hit Ike's head against the wall, knocking the mercenary out. Before long, Sheik noticed that she did to Ike and let out a small gasp. _Damn, I hope I didn't kill this pervert, _she thought as she quickly scurried through the castle. They reached their dark corridor and placed Ike on his bed.

When Ike finally awoke, he was in his room. He had no memory how he got here, but he had a feeling that he lost against Impa. He let out a sigh. _This is going to be training with Father all over again, _he thought. Just then the door to his room opened. In walked in Sheik, wearing a different body suit and mask. Her suit was a dark purple. It kept almost the same design as her original costume. In her hands was a tray of food. Ike couldn't see what it was, but just by sniffing the air, he could tell it was chicken.

Knowing that Sheik was carrying one of his favorite foods, Ike sat up on his bed as if all his injuries didn't exist and waited for the food to be served. Sheik placed the tray on Ike's end table. As Ike was reaching out for the chicken, Sheik smacked Ike on his head. "What the crap?!" Ike let out as he rubbed his head. "What was that for?"

"That was for being a pervert!" Sheik let out. "Not only did you rip my suit with your sword, you looked at my breasts!"

"I…saw your breasts?" Ike replied as he widen his blue eyes. "Then…it wasn't a dream then…ow!" Sheik hit Ike on the head once more.

"Be glad that Auntie Impa is a nice woman," Sheik said as she walked out of Ike's room. "I would have left you behind. Enjoy your dinner, though. Oh…and Princess Zelda says 'sleep well.'" Sheik closed the door to Ike's room and walked out into the darkness. Ike looked at his food and smiled happily. He was right, there was chicken. Ike happily munched on his dinner. As soon as he was done, the blue haired warrior searched his sack for some paper, a quill, and ink. Ike took the liberty to write a letter to his father. It had been a month since he wrote a letter to his father.

_Dear Father,_

_I am sorry I have not written to you in a while. I managed to finally find a great lord to work under. Actually…she's a princess. Princess Zelda of Hyrule is her name and as you guess by her name, she's the ruler of Hyrule. This place has very strange people. They all have pointy ears. You would never guess how I came into the services of the princess. Apparently, she can see prophecies and she saw me in one. That is why I was pardon for my trouble._

_Either way, I am to go through vigorous training in order to be worthy enough to protect the princess. I hope everything is going alright on your part._

_-Your Apprentice,_

_Ike_

Once Ike had finished his letter, he placed the paper down. Ike took off his cape, armor, and finally his dark blue tunic. He slid off his shoes and hopped on his bed. He slid under the covers and slept. In another part of the castle, Sheik was grumbling as she paced back and forth in Zelda's bedroom. The giant bedroom was bigger than any of the average bedrooms. A bear skin was on the floor, next to her bed. In front of her giant, silk covered bed was a golden embedded dresser with a huge vanity mirror. On the opposite side of the dress was a large closet full of Zelda's best dresses.

Zelda had taken off her tiara and was now brushing her golden locks with her silver brush. Her soft pink nightgown brushed lightly against her frail skin. "Oh Sheik, it's nothing to worry about," Zelda said as she brushed her hair. "It could have been a lot worse."

"A lot worse?" Sheik let out. "I'm sorry, Your Majesty…but I just can't stand him!" Sheik took off her turban to reveal her face. It was rare for Sheik to take off her turban, even around Zelda and Impa. Her face was soft, much like Zelda's but with a tan tint to her skin. Her nose was purple and bruised by the earlier fight that day. "Look what he did to me, Zelda and tell me that this wasn't on purpose?"

"You were in a middle of a fight," Zelda replied. "How was he suppose to stop and think 'oh, I better not hit the face'? It was bound to happen. Still…it is rather nasty. I'll have him apologize to you tomorrow in the morning."

"Yeah…" Sheik let out as she looked out at the window. The moon's rays highlighted her blond locks.

Zelda frowned as she knew what was going on through Sheik's head. "You are thinking about him again," she said softly.

"I miss him…" Sheik replied. "Don't you?"

Zelda looked away from Sheik. She slowly stopped her brushing. "I miss him terribly," she said softly. "There isn't a single day that I don't think about him. I pray to the goddesses to protect him and bring him home safely, wherever he is. We haven't gotten anything from him…but…I know he's safe and I know he'll come back. Link is strong and I have full confidence in him."

"Yeah…Link will come back and he will save us."

Zelda smiled sweetly as she raised her brush. "Come Sheik," she said happily. "Let me brush your hair. It's a pity you don't let me do it often. Your hair is so beautiful."

Sheik let out a slight blush. "Don't say such nonsense, Your Majesty," she replied. "I can never be as beautiful as you."

"Aww, but Sheik, I think you are prettier than me. I'd give anything just to be you. To have the freedom of choice and to have a family member think you're sane."

"You don't know how lucky you are, Princess Zelda," Sheik replied. "To be who you are and who you're protected by."

"Even so…I don't have the voice to choose what I want. One day…I am to marry…and I know Father will want to choose my husband."

Sheik stood quiet for a moment before she leaned over to Zelda's bed and sat down right beside her. She untied her hair. "You know, I wouldn't mind a nice brushing," Sheik said. "After all…I never do have time to brush my hair." Zelda smiled as she began to brush Sheik's hair.

"Thank you," the princess said as she brushed the long, golden mane of hair.

_Whoot! Chapter finished! I hope this one turned out okay. Till next time._

_Chapter Three: Knighthood_

_-"If you can land one blow against me, you are ready to be a full fledge knight!"_


	3. Chapter 3: Knighthood

_Well, here we go with another chapter. I hope this one turns out okay as well. _

**A Hero's Creed**

**Chapter Three: Knighthood**

Ike stirred in his sleep. He quickly jerked up from his bed. Ever since he had that strange dream, that's all he's been dreaming about. "This is so strange," he whispered to himself. "Maybe I should go off for a walk." The mercenary walked through the stone hallways. As if something possessed him, he walked to the courtyard and laid on the grass. He looked up at the starry sky and thought to himself. _I wonder if everyone is looking at the same sky, _he thought. _I sure hope Mist is alright. I worry about her as well as Soren._

Just as Ike was about to close his eyes, he saw a shadow leap through the air. He got up and looked over to the direction where the shadow went off. In a matter of moments, the shadow leapt across, but this time, it was holding a light figure in its arms. Upon further inspection, it was Princess Zelda. Ike let out a yelp before he continued to follow them from the ground.

As he ran through the garden, he noticed that guards were trying to stop him. "Hold it right there," said one of the guards. "I don't know how you got here but…" Ike merely pushed the guard out of the way as he continued to follow the kidnapper. As soon as the figure jumped from the last roof of the castle, Ike busted through the guard's door and ran out from the castle. Now the kidnapper was on ground, running from the guards.

Many of the castle guards were stupefied from what they saw. Ike ran through them, not caring if he knocked them down. He was going to catch up and save Zelda no matter what. The kidnaper was fast, possibly faster than Sheik. Ike may not have been the fastest thing alive, but he was going to follow the kidnaper no matter what. Ike started to shout out for Zelda, in hopes to wake up the princess.

What that did accomplish was getting the attention of the kidnaper. The kidnaper looked back to see Ike following right behind. The kidnapper accelerated in hopes to lose Ike. Ike gritted his teeth as he accelerated as well. Ike looked over at the guards. "Hey!" Ike shouted at the guards. "He's getting away with the princess!"

The guards quickly got their act together and tried to stop the kidnaper from taking the princess any further. The kidnaper, leapt over the guards and continued running. As they were standing there, the guards were knocked down by Ike as he came charging through. Ike smirked as he noticed that the gate was closed. _He has no choice but to stop and surrender, _he thought.

However, Ike was mistaken. The kidnapper stopped to look at the closed gate. Taking out a strange weapon Ike has never seen before, the kidnaper aimed at the lever that held the gate closed and squeezed a strange lever that was on the device. A ray of light emitted from the weapon which destroyed the lever. Once the lever was destroyed, the kidnaper did one swift kick which managed to move the gate slightly. Another swift kick helped the gate door open fully.

Ike was amazed by the strange device the kidnapper carried. But now was not the time to think about this. Ike brandished his weapon and pointed it at the kidnaper. "You must fight me!" Ike shouted. "Leave the princess!"

Without saying a word, the kidnapper ran off towards the field. Ike continued to follow, however fatigue was getting to him. Not being able to rest after his training with Impa was causing him so much trouble. "It's now or nothing," Ike said as he aimed his sword at his intruder. Using the remainder of his strength, he threw the weapon towards the kidnapper. The Regal Sword pieced the air and pierced through the kidnapper's leg, causing the kidnapper to fall on the ground.

Ike approached the princess and his assailant. He took the princess in his arms and shook her lightly. "Princess Zelda," he shouted. "Wake up! Princess Zelda!" Slowly, Zelda opened her ocean colored eyes. She looked around her and noticed that she was no longer in her room.

"Ike…what happened?" she asked softly.

"Never mind that," he replied as she smiled softly at her. "You're safe, that's all that matters."

As Zelda and Ike looked at each other, the kidnapper managed to take out the Regal Sword from their leg. The assailant let out a groan of pain as the blade was out from the leg. Blood stained the once green colored grass. Ike turned around to face the kidnapper. Apparently the kidnapper was a woman with long blond hair that was held together with a ponytail. The costume she was wearing was a tight blue suit. Her emerald colored eyes scowled at Ike as she pulled out her strange weapon and pointed it at Ike.

Zelda let out a yell as the blond woman shot at Ike. The strange orange light hit Ike right on his left shoulder. Blood didn't even come out as the laser shot burned his skin. The strength of the shot managed to knock Ike out. Zelda shouted out Ike's name in hopes that he would wake up. As for the blond kidnapper, she got up on her feet. Still grasping her bloody leg she searched her small pack. She pulled out a strange pink capsule and threw it on the ground. When it opened, a puff of smoke appeared. Once the smoke cleared up a strange device appeared. It wasn't like anything Zelda has ever seen.

The device looked like a flat steel object with a steel pipe sticking out. What was more bizarre was that it was hovering over the ground. The blond kidnapper jumped on the hovering steel plate and flew off, disappear in the shadows of the night. Zelda shivered a bit as she didn't know what to do now. She didn't know who that was or what she was capable of. But one thing is for sure, she was a force to be reckoned with. Zelda turned her attention to the fallen Ike and shook him. "Ike! Ike!" Zelda cried. "Please…wake up."

After a few minutes, Ike woke up. He slowly opened his eyes and looked at the princess. "Ugh…" he let out as he slowly got up from the grass. "Are you alright, Princess Zelda?"

"I…I'm fine," Zelda sniffed as she rubbed her eyes. "I…I was very worried about you. I thought you died."

Ike wasn't too sure by the moonlight, but he thought he could see Zelda's blue eyes redden a bit. _Was she crying? _he thought. He wasn't too sure, but when he saw Princess Zelda whimpering, he remembered Mist. Slowly, Ike pulled Zelda in and hugged her, reassuring her that he was fine. Zelda quivered as she was being held by Ike. His strong, muscular body was somewhat soft against her. She closed her eyes as she hugged him back. Ike winced a bit before he relaxed. His wounds were tender still. "I'm sorry," Zelda whispered. "If I wasn't so weak…I wouldn't have…"

"That's alright," Ike replied. "It's my job to watch over you! That's why I'm here. Anyway, let me take you back to the castle." In one swift movement, Ike got up from the ground. He took Zelda's hand and helped her up on her feet. Then he managed to lift up Zelda bridal style and carried her. Even though the princess protested, Ike insisted that he'd carry her.

As Ike carried Zelda, Zelda placed her head upon his chest. She took in a whiff of his musky scent. Even though he smelt of sweat, he did have a different smell emit from his neck. It was sweet and soft. He smelled like cinnamon. She smiled softly as she slept being carried.

Ike managed to bring back the princess to the castle. Impa and Sheik quickly went to Zelda's aid. However, Zelda just smiled at her guardians. "I'm fine," she said. "Ike saved me. He took really good care of me."

"Thank the goddesses that you are safe," Impa said.

"Princess Zelda!" Sheik let out. "Did he really take care of you? And carried you all the way to your room?!"

"Yes…" Zelda replied.

"You can't walk or anything?"

Zelda looked over at Ike and noticed that she was still in his arms. Zelda let out a slight blush as she got off from his grasp and walked over to Impa. "I'm fine," Zelda replied. "What I'm worried about is that Father will catch wind of this."

"I'm sorry to disappoint you, Your Highness," Impa said. "But he will find out. Come morning, someone will tell him about the disturbance that happened. The damages done are significant."

"I'd figure that…" Zelda replied. "What will I do when Father hears about this? He'd want to know about my rescuer."

"Relax," Impa said as she patted Zelda's head. "I told Ike to tell anyone that he is my new apprentice and nothing more. Your father will not find out about your secret guardians."

"I am sorry everyone," Zelda replied. "I'm sorry to have gotten caught."

"Hey," Sheik said, "it could have been worse. It could have been like that one time, that dark agent took you as far as the Gerudo Desert. Link really had to high tail it to get you back. Not too sure what Ike would have done, but Link was amazing."

Ike just rolled his eyes. Each time the name "Link" would roll off from Sheik's tongue, it's usually about comparing the two of them. Zelda turned her attention to Ike's wounds. She frowned as she placed a soft hand on his shoulder wound. "I need to heal this," the princess said. "Impa…can you get me the potions and bandages?"

"There's no need for you to mend him," Impa said. "We'll take care of him."

"But…I feel like its my responsibility. I would like to mend him, if you don't mind."

Impa let out a soft sigh. "As long as Sheik helps," she replied. "I'll keep watch outside. Sheik, as soon as you're done, go and watch with me."

"Alright, I'll go get the medical supplies." And with that, both Sheik and Impa ran off, leaving Zelda and Ike alone in her room. Ike had never seen Zelda's room. It was exactly as he expected it. It was pink and very beautiful. Zelda began to massage Ike's shoulder.

"Gah!" Ike let out.

"Sorry," Zelda said as she stopped for a moment then continued to massage softer than before. "I…want to thank you for saving me."

"It was no problem," Ike replied. "I'm here to protect you…until I die. It is my job as a mercenary. I am a hired sword and we fight for who ever we work for."

"So…you saved me because you had to."

Ike tilted his head a bit so he could see the princess. She had a look of disappointment in her eyes.

"I…I would have done so even if I wasn't working under you. Not because you're a princess or anything, but because you were in need of rescuing. Even if I didn't know you, I would have saved you."

"You don't have to say anything to make me feel better…I…am just glad that you…are here."

Ike turned around and faced Zelda. He looked directly into her soft ocean blue eyes while she looked back at his dark sky orbs. For a moment, all around them seemed to stop. At that moment, Sheik arrived with the medical supplies. She looked at both the princess and the mercenary. "What have I been missing?" Sheik asked as she eyed both of them.

"Nothing," Zelda replied as she averted her eyes away from Ike. "Anyway, let's mend Ike."

Sheik and Zelda began to clean Ike's wound. Zelda took a bottle from Sheik. The bottle was small and was carrying red liquid. Zelda handed it over to Ike. "You need to drink this," she said. "This is a health potion, you will be rejuvenated as soon as you drink it." Ike looked at the bottle with a curious look on his face. His eyes trailed over to Zelda who just motioned him to drink it. Taking in a big gulp, Ike drank the entire red potion. He let out a puff.

"Whoa," he said as he coughed up red breath from his mouth. "I feel pretty good." To Ike's surprise, he felt very rejuvenated, as if he didn't have a single scratch on him. Sheik and Zelda just giggled as they finished patching up his wounds.

"There…all better now," Zelda said as she finished the last bandage. "Do you feel better now?"

"Yeah…I feel great now!" Ike replied as he lifted his arms. He somewhat flexed his muscles to check to see if he felt any pain. Much to his surprise, he felt nothing. "This is amazing! Thanks a lot!" Zelda let out a blush as she watched Ike show off his body. Sheik noticed the princess' blush and covered her eyes.

"Hey dork!" Sheik snapped. "I think you should head off to bed now. We have training in the morning and the princess needs her rest!"

"Right, right…" Ike replied as he bowed in front of Zelda. "I'm off."

"Sweet dreams, Ike," Zelda responded softly.

Ike smiled before he walked out of Zelda's room and headed towards his own room. Ike fell back on his bed and continued his sleep. However, sleep didn't last long. In two hours, he had to rise in order to continue his training with Impa and Sheik. Since often he would have insomnia, Ike was up and ready. His left eye twitched slightly as he walked down the hallway and out into the courtyard.

Impa and Sheik were standing next to each other with books in hand. "Ah, good morning, Ike," Impa said as she waved at the blue haired youth. "I hope you slept well, or at least all that you could sleep."

"I slept decent," Ike replied. "I've had worse."

"That's good because your training will continue. You were able to defeat Sheik…but stood no chance against me."

"Alright!" Ike took out his Regal Sword. "I'm ready."

"Oh…you're not going to fight me," Impa replied. "Only I will decide when you will fight me. You're going to have to be alert when that day comes."

"What?! You mean I won't have a chance to fight you everyday?"

"No…because that's all you'll ever focus on. Now, Sheik and you will have to head to the Zora's River. There you will do a special kind of training. Right now I have to tend to Zelda's needs. I will catch up with you both. So now, head over to the river this instance!"

"Understood," Sheik replied as she dashed off.

"Right!" Ike responded as he followed Sheik.

Sheik made a mad dash from the courtyard to the gate of the castle. Ike did his best to follow her, but the speedy Sheikah was quite quick on her feet. Sheik smirked as he picked up the pace. _Come on, Ike, _she thought. _Let's see how long you can keep up with me. _Ike was not one that was speedy, but he was one who can endure it all. It took both youths two hours of solid running to reach the river. Ike looked at the fast paced river then back at Sheik. "So…what's this training?" Ike asked.

"This training is for balance," Sheik replied. "You're going to go into the water and stand there. You have to make sure the current doesn't take you…if not you're going to have to start over. You are to remaining standing for about an hour. If you can do this, my respect for you will grow…slightly." Ike gave a slight scowl at Sheik for that comment. "Alright now," she said. "Get in the water. I'll join you."

Ike took off his light armor, sword, cape, boots, and tunic off. He placed a foot in the water and shivered. "Damn it's freezing!" Ike let out.

"Oh? What's the matter?" Sheik asked. "The strong mercenary can't get into cold water? Is it too much for you?"

"Shut up! I was just testing it!" Ike then dipped the lower half of his body into the water and shivered. _Damn, it's colder than I thought, _he thought as he tried to stay put. The current was very strong. One slight slip up and he would drift off. In a matter of moments, Sheik dove into the water and stood upright. She balanced herself out as she moved slightly to give Ike room. Sheik smirked as she was pretty balanced out. She even managed to lift one foot from the water. All the meanwhile, Ike was struggling to stay in one spot.

Sheik smirked as she cotinued to show off her abilities to the mercenary. She had been doing such rigorous training for years. Most of them were like standing in the river. However, if there was something she didn't know was that Ike had some rigorous training of his own. He learned more about hand-to-hand combat rather than agility. Ike wasn't going to let up, especially to Sheik.

As Ike tried to move, he had lost his balance. His feet slipped from the ground as the current began to take him. Sheik giggled as she saw the warrior's face as he lost balance. What she didn't expect was Ike to take a hold of her and drag her with him. The current took both warriors. Once the current had died down, they ended up in Hyrule Field. Sheik let out a groan. "You jerk!" she shouted. "What was that for? Don't drag me along with your failures!"

"Sorry," Ike replied. "Maybe if you weren't such a…"

"We have to get back to the river! Auntie Impa will be there any second. And if we're not in the river training, it will be both our butts on the line. Even if I'm training in the water, if you're not there, I'll be in trouble as well. That's our top priority right now, so come on!" Sheik took a hold of Ike's arm and dragged him out of the water and on to land.

She scurried off into the direction of the river all while holding onto Ike's arm. Ike let out a grunt as he let the petite warrior tug him away. _She sure sounds serious, _he thought. _I wonder if Impa's punishments are that bad._ Sheik and Ike arrived at mouth of the river. She slowly got into the water and motioned Ike to get in. "Hurry up!" she shouted. "Before Impa comes!"

"Why?" asked Impa as she appeared right beside Ike.

"A-auntie Impa!"

"There's no need to ask him to get in," Impa replied. "The training for today is over. We have much bigger things at hand. It appears as if the king would like to meet Ike."

"Me?" Ike asked as he pointed at himself.

"Yes you. The king wants to meet the man that saved his daughter. So I suggest you get dressed and meet me at the castle entrance. Sheik, you should go to Princess Zelda and watch over her."

"Understood!" Sheik let out as she hopped out of the water. Taking out a deku nut, Sheik threw it at the ground and disappeared along with Impa, leaving Ike alone by the river. Ike quickly dressed himself and headed over to the castle. It was almost the middle of the afternoon when he arrived at the castle entrance. Impa waited patiently by the gate. She waved at the guards to allow Ike to pass.

"You are late," Impa said in a soft tone. "You need to move quicker. His Majesty is not much of a patient person."

"Yeah…sorry about that," Ike replied.

"Follow me," Impa said as she walked inside of the castle. Ike followed his mentor. The castle was quite beautiful. The floor was pure shiny marble floor. It was quite shiny that he could see his reflection on the ground. The walls were decorated with banners and portraits of the royal family. One portrait, in particular, is of a young blond woman, holding a tiny baby in her arms. Ike assumed that this woman must have been the queen. "Keep your hands to yourself," Impa interrupted. "If the king asks you a question, you will announce it. Don't tell him anything about Zelda's dreams or whatnot. He'll find you to be insane. Tell him you're my apprentice and nothing more."

"Gotcha," replied Ike. As Impa and Ike passed down the hallways, a dark figure was walking towards them. Ike had never seen this man before, but something about him didn't seem right to him. The man was a dark skinned man with medium length fiery hair. Upon his head was a giant ruby that was shiny as his ruby colored eyes. His black cloak swung back and forth as if he were a cloud. The way he walked was powerful and very dangerous. Just as he passed Ike, a surge went through Ike's body. It was suffocating to the mercenary. He could feel the power that coursed through this man's veins.

The dark man turned around and smiled at Ike malevolently. "You must be new here, boy," he said in a deep, gruff voice.

"He's my apprentice, Your Lordship," Impa responded.

"I thought that girl was your apprentice."

"He's my second apprentice."

"What is his name?" asked the man.

"I-Ike…" Ike replied as he turned around to see eye-to-eye with the man.

"Ike, huh? Heh…he reminds me of that boy…Link. Well then, Ike…I wish you luck with Impa." The man swung his cloak and walked out of the castle. Ike was a bit baffled by that man. He looked over at Impa who still had her eyes glued to the dark man.

"That man…" Impa said, "that is Ganondorf, the king of the Gerudo."

"So that's Ganondorf…" Ike said. "I can see why Princess Zelda would say such things about him. He's kinda creepy."

"That's not it…did you sense it? The evil aura around him?"

"It…was so powerful…like something pushed me and I couldn't move. Is he really that powerful?"

"Yes…I've seen him fight before. He's a fearsome man who would tear me apart. He is the dark cloud that Zelda saw in her dreams."

"It's strange…" Ike said. "but…I feel like I have seen him before. I don't know how…"

"That's all a different matter now. Right now, we need to take you to the king." Impa continued walking, urging Ike to follow. Ike eventually ended up in the throne room. There was only two thrones. In one throne was Princess Zelda seated in the other throne was an elderly man with a snowy white beard and hair. Upon his head was a golden crown. His red cloak looked quite elegant. Impa approached the king and bowed before him. "Your Highness," she said. "I bring you the boy that saved the princess."

"Arise Impa," the king said. "You boy…come hither."

Ike walked over to the throne. His eyes shifted from the king to Zelda who had a worried expression on her face. The king coughed a bit before got up from the throne and walked over to Ike. He took a good look at the blue haired mercenary and saw his round ears. "You are not Gerudo," he said. "You are an outsider, are you not?"

"Yes, Your Majesty," replied Ike.

"Then tell me. What is an outsider meddling in the affairs of this kingdom?"

"I came to Hyrule to train. I am a mercenary from the far east. I heard of a great mentor known as Impa of the Sheikah. I came here in hopes to train under her and she took me under her wing. That is all I am: an apprentice."

"From what I heard," the king said, "you were sent to the dungeons and somehow you got out. I may not know you that well…but you seem like a dangerous one. I also heard that you live nearby…in fact that you rest in the castle. I really don't tolerate such actions…but you did save my daughter without a single question of money on your mind. What kind of a mercenary are you not to ask for money?"

"Money…is a plus," Ike replied. "But…I'm here more for training. As long as I have a place to stay and eat."

"What will you do once your training is over?"

"I will go back home and work under my father in Crimea."

The king let out a grunt before he turned his attention to Zelda then back to Ike. He patted Ike's shoulder a bit. "Alright, you can stay here," the king said. "As long as you protect my daughter. You are to be her personal bodyguard. The last guardian she had abruptly left. Many believe that he is dead. I really wouldn't know. Impa, keep an eye on him."

Ike let out a sigh of relief. He looked over at Princess Zelda who smiled at him softly. _Glad it turned out well for the both of us, _he thought. Impa bowed to the king and excused herself from the king. She took Ike along with her to the courtyard. Once she knew the coast was clear she turned her full attention to the mercenary.

"That was quite a close one," Impa spoke. "Anyway, you are now promoted to the princess' bodyguard. This will give you a lot more on your plate."

"Will it be that bad?" Ike asked.

"No…just that now you will share the same responsibility that Sheik and I do. Your training will only progress from here on in. Now…let's head back to the river."

In two hours, Sheik, Ike, and Impa were back at the river. The sun was setting soon but Impa chose to ignore it for now. She ordered Sheik and Ike to get into the river, which they did so. Sheik had no problems being in the river, but Ike was having trouble keeping his balance. "Focus Ike," Impa called out. "If you don't focus on being stable rather than fighting off the water, you'll only tire yourself out and you'll be taken by the river."

Ike grunted as he tried to plant his feet on the ground. The river was hefty, even for a man as strong as Ike. He kept giving glances at Sheik who pretty much had the training down. Ike gritted his teeth as he tried to keep himself planted on the ground. Fifteen minutes had passed since the training started and Ike was beginning to tire a bit. He looked over at Impa who had been busy with a book in her hands. _How much more do I have to do this? _he thought. _This type of training is weird. Nothing like the one Father gave me. It is kinda boring too. I wonder what will be for dinner. I hope its chicken. _

At that moment, all Ike could think about was chicken. Just the slight thought of meat caused the blue haired warrior to lose all thoughts of the river. All he could imagine was a large roasted chicken on the table, just like the chicken back home. He smiled brightly as he imagined what it would taste, smell, and look like. Sheik looked over at Ike and gave off a confused look.

"What's wrong with you?" Sheik asked.

"Chicken…" Ike thought.

"Chicken?"

"Yeah…nice roasted chicken…so delicious with vegetables on the side. All on a wooden table in a warm room by the fire."

"Stop it!" Sheik said. "You're making me hungry!" Sheik tried to ignore Ike's comments, but the thought of delicious food and warmth was too much for her to handle. Sheik was beginning to lose balance. Impa looked over from her book to see her two apprentices squabbling.

"Hey! Concentrate!" Impa shouted. "If not you're both going to…"

"What would I do for some chicken…" Ike thought.

"Shut up!" Sheik shouted as she slapped Ike's shoulder. However, in doing so, both warriors lost their balance and were carried away by the current. Impa let out a sigh as she closed her book and searched for them both. She found them at the foot of the river and pulled them both out. Sheik coughed as she scrabbled across the grass. She looked over at Ike who was now on land.

"Damn it!" she scowled. "If you weren't talking about food…"

"That's enough for today," Impa said. "It is already evening. I've decided that we will sleep in Kakariko Village tonight. From the looks of it, Ike is rather tired.

"I am not…" responded Ike as his left eye twitched.

"Sheik, will you take Ike to my house? I'll head off to the castle to make sure the princess is safe. I need you to take care of Ike."

"What am I? A babysitter?" asked the blond Sheikah.

"I'm asking you this for your training. Let's see how well you do guarding someone you aren't fond of much."

"I don't need someone to watch over me," the blue haired mercenary responded. "I'm fine!" Ike got up from the ground and began to walk, however a sharp pain arose from his feet. "Crap!"

Sheik rolled her ruby eyes as she approached Ike, wrapped one of his arms around her neck and placed one of her arms on his waist. "Come on," she said, "I'll take you Impa's home. You sure you'll be okay on your own, Auntie Impa?"

"I'm sure about it," the elderly Sheikah spoke. "Just watch over Ike. Make sure he gets a full rest and heals. There is a red potion in the cabinet. Just ask the house woman that you're going to use it to heal him."

"Alright! I gotcha!" Sheik said her good byes to Impa before she disappeared. Sheik ran as fast as she could to get to Kakariko Village. Ike could have sworn that the way Sheik was running was like she was flying. Once they entered the village, Sheik ran over to a large house with a red roof. She opened the door and walked in while holding onto Ike.

The interior of the house was quite cozy looking. A large fire place stood at the far right of the room. At the end of the common room was a cage which held a cow. Ike thought it was the most bizarre thing ever to see. The cow mooed as Sheik placed Ike on one of the chairs. Living inside of the house were three people. One was a red haired woman with a jolly smile that was as radiant as her blue eyes. Next to her was a sour looking man who apparently looked like he was balding. The third person was an old shaggy looking man.

"Sheik!" the red haired woman said. "What brings you here?"

"I'm here to babysit this guy," Sheik replied as she pointed at Ike. "Now…I'm going to use a red potion to heal him. He's going to be resting here for the night."

Sheik searched the cabinets until she found a bottle of red potion. She walked over to Ike and made him drink it. Once he had finished, Sheik began to mend his ankle. Apparently he had strained it while he was drifting through the water. Once she was done, she took Ike to an empty bed and placed him there. "I'll be back with food," she said as she walked down the stairs and into the common room. The blond Sheikah took some dried meat, cheese, and an apple to Ike. "You need to eat then rest. Tomorrow, we will see if you are ready to get up and continue training."

"Alright…thanks Sheik," Ike replied as he took a big bite out of the apple.

"Don't mention it," Sheik replied as she somewhat smiled underneath her bandages. Once Ike had finished eating his meal, he laid on the bed and relaxed. He knew that this type of training was going to exhaust him to the bone. He closed his blue eyes and went to sleep.

Six months have passed since Ike arrived at Hyrule. Spring turned into autumn in a short amount of time. Ike remembered when he first arrived to this mythical kingdom. Through the rigorous training that Impa put him through, Ike only became stronger and more agile. He could see why his father wanted him to train on his own.

Though Ike's training prepared him to protect the princess at any cost, there were some attempted kidnappings that happen every now and again. The more Ike protected her, the less of these occurrences happen. The more time he spent with the princess, the closer he got to her. Ike soon became one of Zelda's most treasured friends.

Though he enjoyed his newly formed bond with the princess and her guardians, grief struck Ike when he knew that his remaining days in Hyrule were almost over. He knew deep in his heart that he had to treasure his moments with them, even if they were bad. One day, Ike had been at Impa's house in Kakariko. The mercenary spent the day cleaning the house along with Sheik. Impa called it training, but Ike thought of it as labor. Still, work was work and he was glad he was getting paid for it. Since of his actions and good deeds, the king and Zelda had started to pay him generous amount of rupees for his services. Though they would get him food and other goods in Hyrule, rupees were useless back in his country of Crimea.

Outside of Kakariko Village, a lone figure walked through the town. Covered from head to toe in a black cloak, the figure walked down the dirt road and headed towards Impa's house. It stopped once it saw Sheik and Ike inside cleaning. The silhouette lifted the dark hood to reveal a pair of dark blue eyes. "So…that's Zelda's new bodyguard," the silhouette spoke softly. "He's the one that wounded her six months ago. Its hard to believe it…"

The cloaked figure looked up at the sky and noticed Impa was approaching her house. "I better get out of here," the silhouette spoke as it scurried away from the red roofed house. "I should go pay Princess Zelda a visit…she should be more than happy to see…an old friend…before she dies." The cloaked silhouette disappeared like a dark cloud looming in the evening sky.

_Whoot! Chapter finished! I hope this one turned out okay. Till next time._

_Chapter Four: Traitor_

_-"My name is Link. I was once known as a great hero…but that was a long time ago. That isn't me anymore!"_


	4. Chapter 4: Traitor

-1_Whoot! Raise the roof on this one! I finally got to chapter four. I'm so loving this story. I hope you guys are. Lots of thanks for comments sent to me!_

**A Hero's Creed**

**Chapter Four: Traitor**

Impa landed in front of her front door and opened it. Sheik and Ike stopped what they were doing and turned their attention to their mentor. "Impa!" Ike let out as he almost dropped the box he was holding.

"Careful with that!" Sheik let out as she tried to keep the box steady. "Hi, Auntie Impa."

"Ike…Sheik," Impa said. "You have to drop everything and head over to the castle."

"What's wrong? Did something happen to Zelda?" Ike asked as he dropped the box on the ground.

"Nothing wrong happened to her. It is the eve of the Autumn Festival and the princess will be in town to greet her people. We need you two to keep a close eye on her. Sheik…Ike…I brought you some nice clothing for you two to wear."

Sheik looked at the package Impa had in her arms and inspected it. She didn't seem to like what was meant for her to dress in. It was an sunset orange dress which was somewhat puffy at the bottom. Along with the dress was a mask for her to wear. A pair of red shoes were at her disposal. As Sheik took a better look at her clothing, Ike saw his. He was given a dark red tunic, much like his own, with a pair of black boots, orange colored pants, and a brown cape. He looked at the clothing with a questionable look. "Are we really going to have to wear these?" he asked.

"Yes," Impa said. "you will want to blend in with the people. So you both will look festive this day. No complains about the clothing! Now I want both of you dressed immediately. We are going to the castle town market as soon as possible. The princess should be ready."

Ike rolled his eyes as he began to undress. Sheik saw her partner undressing and immediately hit him. "Don't you have any manners?" she shouted. "Don't undress in front of us!" Sheik huffed a bit before she took her dress and went upstairs. Before she hid away from view, she looked over at Ike. "You better not peek or else I'll poke your eyes out with my daggers!"

"Alright, alright…sheesh," Ike let out. "Not like you have anything on you." As soon as he finished saying that, a dagger fly from Sheik's hand and zipped past Ike's crotch area. His eyes widen as he shivered a bit. He looked up at a malevolent smiling Sheik with daggers in her hands. Sheik then disappeared within the shadows.

Ike snorted as he continued undressing. Impa turned away from the boy and tapped her foot lightly on the ground. Once Ike was finished dressing, he took a good look in the mirror to see what he looked like. To Ike, he looked totally different. He looked cleaner and pompous. _This isn't me, _he thought as he turned around. At that moment, Sheik walked down the stairs. For once, she looked like a woman to Ike. Her face was covered in a porcelain mask that had feathers decorating it. Her long blond hair was in a neat ponytail, just like Zelda's.

Her eyes were directed at Ike who kept staring at her. "What?" She let out. "Haven't you ever seen a lady in an orange dress before?"

"You…look good," he replied. "That's a nice look for you."

"You wished!" Sheik spat. "But…thanks for the compliment." She blushed lightly.

"Anyway, lets leave," Impa said. "The princess is waiting."

Since they were dressed nicely, Sheik and Ike had to walk carefully through the grassy plains. It took the group an hour to arrive at the castle town market. The town market was beautifully decorated with red, orange, and brown streamers. Food was placed on all stands. The smell of apples, cinnamon, and pumpkins filled the air. As Ike walked by one of the stands, he smelled roast beef. He quickly scurried to the stand and looked around. A kind looking lady had some beef prepared. "Would you like some?" she asked softly. "They are ten rupees for a big piece with the bone intact."

Ike quickly paid up and began to chew on the meat. Sheik stared at him with disgust but chose to ignore him. _Pigs will be pigs, I guess, _she thought as she continued to walk around the town. As she passed on by, Sheik bumped into a small figure. It was a youth who looked slightly younger than she was. His chestnut brown hair was held together by a golden laurel wreath. His sparkling blue eyes looked at Sheik with much curiosity. To Sheik, he looked as pure as the white toga he was wearing. Upon his back he had a pair of wings, which Sheik thought was a cute decoration to his costume. The youth smiled sweetly at Sheik, as if the angelic aura of his costume radiated his cuteness.

"Hi!" he squeaked in a humble voice.

"H-hello," Sheik replied as she waved at the youth.

"This is a festival, right? Is Princess Zelda going to appear?"

"Yes, she is. Princess Zelda will greet her people."

"That's good. Pit's been wanting to see Princess Zelda. Pit's heard that she's very pretty and very nice."

"Oh? You're Pit? Is that your name?"

"Yes!" Squeaked Pit. "Pit is Pit's name! What's your name, pretty lady?"

Upon hearing Pit call her "pretty lady", Sheik blushed. "I…um…" was all that she could mutter at the moment.

"Oh? Pretty lady doesn't know her own name?"

"No! I do know my name! It's…Sheik." Sheik's ruby eyes widen a bit as she noticed what she did. _Damn! _She thought. _I can't believe I told him my real name! Impa is going to skin me alive for this._ All the meanwhile, Pit giggled as he saw Sheik panic. He took a hold of her hand and smiled sweetly at her.

"Sheik," he said in a soft voice. "Sheik's a pretty name for Pretty Lady!"

Sheik wasn't too sure what it was. She wasn't too sure if Pit's charm or if the air got warmer, but Sheik's felt very hot and flustered. Her heart pounded quite steadily. She shook her head as she regained her thoughts on reality. Pit looked at Sheik's mask with curiosity. He placed a soft hand upon her porcelain mask and moved it slightly, in hopes of seeing Sheik's true face. The blond Sheikah quickly placed her hands on her mask, to hide her face. "No!" Sheik let out.

Upon seeing Sheik's reaction, Pit recoiled a bit. His cheery face changed to a hurt one. "Pit made Sheik mad?" he whimpered. "Pit made Sheik mad…"

Sheik looked at the whimpering angel and felt guilty. He looked so hurt and innocent that she had to make him stop. She hugged Pit in a comforting matter. "D-don't cry!" she said. "I'm not mad, honest! You just frightened me, that's all."

"Sheik's not mad at Pit?" Pit sniffed.

"No…of course not. Just that you startled me."

"Pit only wanted to see Sheik's face."

"You can't."

"Why not?" Whimpered Pit.

"Because…I'm suppose to be hiding," Sheik whispered.

"From who? Pit will protect you."

"That's nice of you but…"

"Sheik!" Impa hissed as she took a hold of the younger Sheikah's arm. "Her Majesty has been waiting for you! Let's go!" Impa dragged off Sheik. Sheik slowly looked back to see Pit waving at her. Ike managed to catch up with Impa and Sheik. He had meat stuffed in his mouth. "Ike! Finish your food!"

"I'mf, sowwy Impha!" Ike muffled through his food.

"Don't talk with your mouth full!"

Ike nodded as he chewed the meat that was in his mouth. At that moment, trumpets were blaring. Six knights in golden armor walked down the stone road as maidens pranced around throwing flowers on the ground. The royal advisor, who was a stuffy man with white hair walked by the knights. In his gloved hands was a piece of parchment which he opened. The man cleared his throat. "Ladies and gentlemen," the advisor announced, "we welcome you and fellow visitors to the Autumn Festival! We are here gathered in this joyous event. The Autumn Festival has been a tradition in which Hyrule has held for many years."

As the royal advisor continued on with his speech, the cloaked silhouette walked through the shadows of the alleyway. The figure looked over and could see the object of his desire behind the knights. The cloaked figure walked forward, trying to inch his way close to her. A sly looking boy moved his hands to the cloaked figure and began to lift it, in order to pickpocket the figure.

As the boy lifted the cloak, he noticed that the figure he was taking money from was a young man who was clad in green. Just as the child was about to take the rupee wallet, the young man took a hold of the little boy's wrist. He looked down at him with his blue eyes. They were dark and cold. The child whimpered as he tried to slip away from the man's grasp. Once he did, he ran off. The cloaked figure turned his attention back to the royal advisor as he was finishing his speech.

"And now," the royal advisor said, "I present to you, Princess Zelda of Hyrule." At that moment, the six knights opened a path to let the princess pass. Zelda walked down the path. Her radiant crimson dress looked like a rose petal dancing in the wind. The straps of the dress were slim, but no one would see them since her shoulders were covered by golden shoulder pads. Her orange gloves shimmered along with her light orange make up. Her lips were rouged along with her cheeks. Her golden locks were loose and held together by a golden tiara she wore on her forehead.

To everyone she was a vision. To Ike…she was nothing he'd ever seen before. Ike swallowed the food that was in his mouth while he dropped the rest of his meat. Zelda looked over to Ike and smiled sweetly at him. She then looked over at her people. "My people," Zelda spoke in a loud voice. "Thank you for joining us in this joyous occasion. I am so glad that you are all enjoying this festival. Hyrule has conquered anything that has been sent on this way.

"Through courage and dedication, Hyrule has been strong and to withstand anything. United, we can bring peace and prosperity to our kingdom. Thank you, Lord Darunia, Lady Ruto for joining us. Spring, summer, autumn, and winter…life continues in a cycle of life. One can no change the tide of time, but one can enjoy time. Please…enjoy this festivity!"

And with a shout, the people cheered Princess Zelda. Maidens threw flowers all around the fountain. Banners flew in the air. Even though the place was crowded, to Ike, it was as if he and Zelda were the only people in town. His vision was kept on Zelda, who in turn looked back at him. Zelda mouthed words to him: "you look good."

"You too," Ike mouthed back. "You look beautiful…" Before Zelda approached Ike, a young gentleman took a hold of her arm and asked her to dance. Zelda bowed at the gentleman and went off to waltz. Ike only watched on as the princess waltz with the gentleman. Just then someone lightly tapped Ike's shoulder. The mercenary turned around to see Malon. The red headed girl smiled cheerfully.

"Ike! I'm so glad you're alright!" Malon said. "I heard that you've been fending off assassins lately."

"I'm fine, Malon," Ike replied as he smiled at her. "Sorry that I haven't came to visit you these past three weeks."

"That's alright. Hey! You wanna dance?"

"I'm…not good at dancing. I'm quite terrible."

"Oh! I'll show you!" Malon took a hold of Ike's hand and placed it with her own. She grabbed his other hand and placed it on her hip. She smiled as she lead Ike on a dance. Ike isn't the most graceful dancer in the world. He clumsily stepped on Malon's feet often. He apologized as he tried not to step on her again. Malon winced a bit as she tried not to think of the pain in her feet. Once Ike got the hang of dancing, he started to avoid stepping on Malon's feet.

The music that was played was cheery and light. Malon giggled as she enjoyed dancing with Ike. Ike really took a liking to dancing. Once the song was over, Malon excused herself as she headed off to find her father. The blue haired mercenary let out a sigh. _At least the dancing is over with, _he thought. Just then someone lightly tapped on his shoulder. He turned around to see Zelda's glamorous face. "Ike," she said, "will…thoust honor me with a dance?"

Ike merely nodded in approval. Zelda took a hold of Ike's hand while Ike slowly placed his hands on her hips. As Ike and Zelda waltz with one another, everything was oblivious to them. Zelda only saw Ike while Ike only saw Zelda. He smiled as he danced as best as he could. Zelda giggled as he danced marvelously. As the pair danced, the cloaked silhouette viewed them from afar. The figure kept approaching the coupling. Zelda and Ike enjoyed their company together.

When the song stopped, both of them kept their eyes locked. Somehow, both youths were leaning closer to each other until their lips were mere inches away from touching. Just then the cloaked figure pushed Ike out of the way. "Mind if I dance with the princess?" asked the figure as he placed his hands on Zelda's hip and hands. Before Ike could protest, the figure took Zelda to another area where they could dance away from Ike. Zelda felt somewhat uncomfortable dancing with the cloaked stranger. However, he didn't seem to mean harm right now to her.

"Heh…I didn't think you'd find another," the cloaked figure said. "I guess you really needed the help."

"Huh?" Zelda let out. "What do you mean?"

"That man…you hired him to protect you, did you not?"

"Yes…but…how did you know?"

"I know everything," the man replied. "I know that you've been dreaming prophetic dreams, princess."

"Who are you?" Zelda asked.

Just then, the cloaked man dipped Zelda. As they were in a dip, Zelda saw through the cloak to see a pair of blue eyes. The eyes she saw were a pair she had seen before. She gasped a bit as she finally remembered. "Your voice…those eyes," she said. "You're…"

"Quiet, Your Highness," spoke the young man. "I mean you harm…as long as you come with me…quietly."

"W-what?"

"You must come with me quietly. I'm going to take you to a place where you need to be: Ganondorf's hide out. Don't you trust me, Zel? Or perhaps you prefer your new man over me to protect you?"

Zelda was confused as she saw the young man before her. She knew who this was and wasn't too sure about where he was going with this. "I haven't seen you in months," she said. "What have you been doing? Everyone thought you were dead." The young man spun Zelda around.

"Did you believe I was dead?" he asked softly.

"No…I believed that you were alive. And you are…but you are different. Something about you…"

The cloaked man brought Zelda close to his body. He leaned his head over to her ear. "There will be a disturbance soon," he spoke. "The reason why you should come with me, is because I'm not the worst one out of all of them. He will send his demon soon and he will kill everyone in this town. Come with me…Zelda. I'll take care of you."

"By sending me to Ganondorf?" Zelda replied as she pushed the young man off from her. "I'm sorry…but you have to tell me why you are doing this. Tell me…what do you hope to accomplish? Did you…really become a…traitor?" The young man didn't reply. He merely looked at Zelda. Even though half of his face was covered, the princess could tell that he was smiling underneath the cloth.

While Zelda and her masked friend were talking, another agent was working in the shadows. The blond haired kidnapper was in Hyrule once again. In her hands was the gun she had used to zap Ike on the night she tried to kidnap Zelda months ago. She slunk through the shadows, avoiding the townsfolk, in hopes to find her companion. She looked over and found her friend. He looked at her and winked, signaling that he was going to take her with him, no matter what.

Zelda saw Link wink to the side of her. The princess looked over and saw hidden in the shadows the same woman that kidnapped her months ago. She looked back at the cloaked man and scowled. "So it is true," Zelda replied. "Just like I figured…you did betray us. You…are in cohorts with them. The people you fought to protect me."

The young man didn't reply. He merely looked away.

"Why?" Zelda asked. "Why would you betray your own people?"

"There's no time for answers. I am going to take you to Ganondorf, whether you like it or not!"

The cloaked figure took a hold of Zelda's wrist and began to drag her off. Zelda struggled to get free from the man's grasps. Guards came by to stop the man, but he merely scoffed. He pulled out a magnificent looking sword with a purple hilt and the Triforce symbol embedded in the blade. He swung the sword to make way. Ike growled as he ran over to the cloaked figure. Just as he was about to catch him, the blond kidnapper ran over to Ike and delivered a swift kick to his side.

Ike gasped as he rolled on the ground. The townspeople started to yell as a fight broke out. The blond kidnapper took out her gun and pointed at Ike. Just as she was about to squeeze the trigger, Sheik jumped on the blond warrior and knocked her off from Ike. Taking out her daggers, she threw them at the woman. The assailant quickly recovered herself then rushed over to Sheik. She delivered a swift kick to her head, sending the Sheikah rolling on the ground.

Ike got up from the ground and went after the cloaked figure. Zelda struggled and begged the silhouette to let her go and reconsider his actions, but the young man only shook his head. Ike approached and slashed at the figure. The young man dodged out of the way as he dragged Zelda and ran out of Hyrule Castle Town Market. Ike pursued like mad. Once they were at a good distance, the cloaked figure stopped dragging the princess. He turned to face Ike.

"Let her go!" shouted Ike as he pointed the Regal Sword at the young man. "If you wish to take her, you have to go through me!"

"You're very persistent," replied the figure as he jerked Zelda. "Alright…I'll play your game." The young man released his hold on Zelda. The princess moved away from the cloaked figure and hid behind Ike. Ike stood in shock as the cloaked figure removed the cloak from his body.

All the meanwhile, Sheik and the intruder were fighting. The blond woman managed to get her gun and began to shoot at Sheik. Sheik back flipped away from the intruder. She took out daggers and threw them at her. The blond woman managed to dodge most of the oncoming daggers, except for one. That dagger managed to sink itself into her arm. The woman let out a shout as she ran up to Sheik and kicked her in the gut.

Sheik let out a wheeze as she clutched her stomach. A swift kick to her face, managed to knock the porcelain mask off. The woman approached Sheik with her gun in hand. She pointed it right at her head. At that moment, Sheik kicked the woman right on her leg. The blond woman let out a yell of pain as she felt so much pain course through her body. Apparently the wound that she once had on her leg had left some problems from the sword stab she had a couple of months back. Once the woman had settled down, she charged up her gun and was about to shoot.

At that moment, a light blue arrow knocked the weapon off from her hand. The blond woman looked over to see the figure of a young brunette boy holding a boy and arrow. The boy's wings extended as he took aim once more. "Evil lady hurt Sheik!" shouted the boy. "Pit will protect her!" Taking aim, he shot his bow and arrow once more. The blond woman dodged out of the way, picked up her gun and took off running. She limp as she felt the strong surges of pain.

Pit scurried over to Sheik and shook her lightly. "Sheik!" Pit let out. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Sheik replied as she slowly got up from the ground. "Thanks a lot for helping me."

"No problem! Pit is always willing to help! Pit's happy that nothing happened to Sheik. Pit would be sad if something happened."

Sheik just smiled at the boy. Pit smiled back. "Sheik is very pretty!" Pit said as he poked Sheik's nose. At that moment, Sheik panicked when she noticed that her face was exposed. However, only Pit seemed to be the one that can see her face. She gathered her porcelain mask and donned it.

"You didn't see anything," she said to Pit.

Outside in the field, Ike looked at his opponent. The once cloaked figure was a young man with strawberry blond hair that was held together by a green sock hat. His eyes were a deep blue, much like his own. He was a Hylian, much like Zelda, except that he was a peasant. His clothing consisted of a green tunic with cream underpants, leather gauntlets, and leather boots. Upon his back was a shield and the sheath to his sword.

"It seems you've caught me…" he said.

"I…knew it was you…" Zelda said. "But I didn't want to believe it. You really did turn your back on us."

"Who is this?" Ike asked.

The blond haired man let out a sigh. "I am Link. I was once known as a great hero…but that was a long time ago. That isn't me anymore! I now serve under Ganondorf, the King of the Gerudo. I wanted to find you, Zelda. We can do this peacefully…come with me…or you're going to face a great danger."

"What if I refuse?" Zelda asked.

"It will be much easier on you if you do come with me," Link said.

"She said she isn't coming," Ike said. "Even if she wanted to…I wouldn't allow it! You're going to have to deal with me."

Link looked at Ike with an expressionless face. He pulled out the Master Sword from its sheath then took out his shield. "Looks like we have no choice now," he said. Ike let out a yell as he charged at Link. Link raised his shield to stop the upcoming assault from Ike. Link parried then gave Ike a swift kick to his stomach. Ike was pushed back by the force, but slashed at Link once he recovered. Link dodged out of the way. He searched through his tunic and found his boomerang. Using tremendous force, Link threw his boomerang at Ike.

The wooden weapon hit Ike across the face with a huge impact. Ike was taken back as he fell on the ground. Link ran over to the blue haired mercenary and jumped on him. He placed his sword near Ike's neck. Ike grabbed the blade and tried to move it away from his throat. Link used a lot of pressure as he tried to stab Ike's neck. All the meanwhile, the blue haired mercenary held the blade away from him. Blood began to trail from his hands as he applied more pressure to hold it away from him. He winced as the blade dug more into his hands.

Just then a light arrow knocked Link back. The blue arrow pierced through Link's right shoulder. The hero let out a cry as he felt such pain surge through his body. He looked over to see Pit holding onto his bow. The little angel had a scowl on his face. "Leave him alone!" Pit shouted. Sheik stood in horror as she had seen Link try to kill Ike and take Zelda.

"Link?" Sheik asked. "What…are you doing?"

Link's expression changed. He looked away from the Sheikah. His eyes were focused out in the distance as he tried to search for the words he wanted to say. "I can't tell any of you what it is," he said. "All I can say is that I have to return with the princess. Zelda," Link said as he turned to face her. "I will ask you one more time…come with me!"

"Link, I…can't," Zelda said. "I won't! You are going to have to tell me what are you up to! Did you really betray us? Did you really break your promise to me? You even tried to kill Ike…"

Link looked over at Ike who had recovered and got up from the ground. The blue haired mercenary took a hold of his Regal Sword and readied himself to fight Link. Even though he held the sword tightly, Link could tell that it was painful for Ike to carry it. "So…" Link said, "Is he really that important to you? Did he truly replace me?"

"Link!" a voice shouted from a distance. Just then, the blond kidnapper approached the fallen hero with her hovercraft. She stopped as soon as she reached his side. "What the hell are you waiting for? Take the princess and let's go!"

"No Samus," Link said. "We'll get her later. Let's head back now before things get worse." Link jumped on Samus' hovercraft and took a hold of her waist. Samus just scoffed as she hit the acceleration and flew off with Link. Once both disappeared in the distance, Ike turned his attention to the princess. Zelda shivered a bit as she felt a hot tear trail down her frail face.

"He…did betray us," she said. "My most trusted friend…betrayed us…"

"No!" Sheik shouted. "That can't be true! Link would never do that! It…there has to be a reason why he's doing this! He can't just…no! I refuse to believe it!"

"You saw him, didn't you Sheik?" Ike asked. "He tried to kidnap Zelda and take him to your enemy."

"That…is not the Link I know! You don't you dare poison his name!"

"He's already done that himself!"

"Stop it…" Zelda hissed through her teeth. "Stop it! Don't fight!" At this point, Zelda started to cry. "I don't want this anymore! I…Link…"

Pit looked at the three companions. He knew that they were upset over their friend…but didn't know what to do. However, he came with a mission. He walked over to Zelda and bowed down to her. Zelda stopped crying a bit as she saw the tiny boy in front of her. "What are you doing?" Zelda asked.

"Pit is here," Pit replied. "Pit is here to protect Zelda! Pit was sent by Palutena! Palutena saw that you will be in trouble so Pit was sent to help you!"

"That's very kind of you…but I don't know any queen named Palutena."

"Palutena is not a queen!" Pit shouted. "Palutena is a goddess! She's my goddess! Pit is captain of her angel guards!"

"Angel?" Zelda asked.

"Listen kid," Ike said. "There is time to play and all…but now is not the time. I appreciate you saving me…but we'll play angels later."

"Pit is not playing!" Pit shouted as he got up from the ground and pointed his bow at Ike. "Blue haired jerk doesn't believe Pit! But Pit was sent by Palutena to protect Zelda."

"I've never heard of a goddess named Palutena," Zelda said. "Why would she be interested in me?"

"Palutena received distress call from three goddesses. They told Palutena that someone named Princess Zelda would be in trouble in the land of Hyrule. My goddess sent Pit in to protect her like a guardian angel. So Pit is here to help Zelda."

"Pit…" Ike said, "listen as cute as this all sounds, I don't think you should involve yourself in this. Just because you put wings on…" Ike took a hold of one of Pit's wings and tried to take them off from his back. Pit whined as Ike jerked really hard. Pit kicked Ike in the shin then hid behind Sheik.

"Blue haired jerk hurt Pit!" Pit squealed as he hid behind Sheik. "Sheik, help Pit!"

"Listen," Sheik said as she glared at Ike. "I don't know where you get off hurting people…but you should take it easy on Pit! And Pit…we'll play with you later. Right now, we have to talk about something that doesn't concern you."

Pit looked at Sheik with a hurt and angry expression. He pushed away from her and spread his wings. "I'll show you that Pit is an angel!" Pit shouted as he began to flap his wings. The brunette angel continued to flap his wings until he was up in the sky. He flew through the sky and landed hear Zelda. "There! Pit can fly!"

"So do the bird laguz back in my continent," Ike said.

"What is…laguz?" Pit asked.

"That's what you are."

"Pit is not a laguz! Pit is an angel! Ike is a meany! He doesn't believe in anything until he sees it! He didn't believe Zelda's dreams until he saw Ganondorf!"

Ike's eyes widen as he looked at Pit. "How did you know that?"

"Pit sees all!" Pit squealed. "Back in Angel Land, Pit saw everything through Palutena's magical cauldron! Pit also saw when you stole chicken from the dinner table of the castle last week."

"S-stop!" Ike shouted. "Fine! You know everything!"

"So do you believe Pit's an angel now?" Pit said in a smug tone.

Ike just glared at Pit. He didn't want to give in to the little angel.

"Pit…" Zelda said. "Does your goddess, Palutena wish to help us as well?"

"Yes!" Pit shouted as he searched through his pockets. "My goddess told me to take this to you. This is a object from Angel Island. It will protect you no matter what." The brunette angel gave Zelda a golden medallion which had a strange symbol on it. The medallion glowed with a strange aura.

"This is beautiful," Zelda said. "I can feel a strange power emit from this. Pit…I believe you are an angel and I will be more than happy to have you join us!"

"Really?!" Pit let out as he hugged Zelda. "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" Zelda giggled as she hugged back.

"Let's head back to the castle," Zelda said, "we need to discuss what happened here."

Off in the far distance toward the west of Hyrule lies the Gerudo Desert, home of the Gerudos. The Gerudo are a race of women who birth one sole male heir per every one hundred years. Ganondorf, the current king had been ruling for many years the desert. Hidden in the desert if the Gerudo Fortress in which monsters, Gerudo, and mercenaries fight for Ganondorf.

Inside of the musty Gerudo Fortress, Link and Samus had reached their rooms. Link placed Samus upon her hard, dirty bed. He took off her boots and began to roll up her suit. Samus took a hold of Link's wrist and snarled at him. "I don't need your help!" she hissed. "I can tend my own wounds!" Link shook his head as he left the bounty huntress for a moment. He took out a clay bowl, filled it with water that was inside of a barrel and took up a small towel. He dipped the towel in the water and began to cool down her wound.

"I said I'm fine!" Samus said.

"You can lie to everyone," Link said, "but you can't lie to me. You're in such pain at the moment. Anyway, I'll fix you up then I'll get you a red potion for you to drink."

"Why didn't you get the princess?"

Link remained quiet for a moment as he continued to tend to Samus' wound. Samus took a hold of his chin and lifted it so that he could see her in the eyes. "Tell me," she said. "Why you didn't take the princess."

Link merely smiled softly at her. "You need to rest," he said in a soft tone.

"You could have killed him if you wanted to."

"I'll get you a red potion…"

"Stop avoiding the questions!" Samus shouted. "If you really didn't want to do such things, why did you join? What makes you stay here?"

Link lifted Samus' leg. Samus blushed lightly as Link began to bandaged her leg. He massaged her leg softly and carefully. "I have my reasons why I stay," he replied as he finished bandaging her up. "You should rest for a moment, I'll handle the report to Ganondorf."

Samus' expression loosen up for a moment. "He's going to hurt you, you know," she said. "We failed and you're going to suffer this punishment alone?"

"Better me than you. You're in no position to handle it. Besides…I don't want him to lay a hand on you again. He hurt you very much the last time you returned without the princess. It hurt me to see you bloodied and bruised on the ground."

"He could kill you!"

"That's a risk I'm willing to take," Link said as he handed a red potion to Samus. He carefully tucked her in on her bed then left her room. He closed it tightly and hoped that Samus wouldn't get out from her room. As Link walked down the hallways, he managed to bump into a friend of his. He was a young man with blue hair. Upon his head was a golden tiara. His cobalt eyes were cold and empty. As he walked, the cerulean cape danced gracefully.

To everyone he was a killer, but to Link…he knew what was wrong with him. Around the blue haired man's neck was a strange device which glowed brightly. It was the only thing that held Link's friend confined to this place. "Hi Marth," Link said softly.

Marth merely looked at Link with an empty expression before he walked off towards his destination. Link let out a sigh as he walked towards the throne room. Once he reached the throne room of the fortress, he bowed down to Ganondorf. "Your Highness," Link said. "I have returned."

"Did you bring me the princess?" Ganondorf asked.

Link remained silent for a moment before he decided to answer. "No…I couldn't get her," he replied. "She apparently was surrounded by many guardians."

Ganondorf didn't say anything. Instead he smiled at the elfin youth. He smiled quite malevolently at him. He got up from his throne, walked over to Link, then gave him a swift kick in the face. Blood fell from Link's nose as well as mouth. Ganondorf wasn't finished with him yet. He grabbed him by his blond lock and slammed him against the cold ground.

"You are pathetic," Ganondorf said as he grabbed Link by his hair again. "If you weren't my only source of information…I would kill you as you are right now. Instead, I'm just going to show you what I mean by you shouldn't fail me!" Ganondorf smashed Link against the wall as he delivered a hefty punch on Link's gut. Link lost all of his breath. He fell down on the ground and passed out.

_Whoo! End of chapter! Yes…now plenty of twists!_

_Chapter Five: In Link's Shadow_

_- "He was our friend…we trusted him. But now we know…we can't forgive him for this."_


	5. Chapter 5: In Link's Shadow

_Whoot! Raise the roof on this one! I finally got to chapter four. I'm so loving this story. I hope you guys are. Lots of thanks for comments sent to me!_

**A Hero's Creed**

**Chapter Five: In Link's Shadow**

Back in Castle Hyrule, Zelda arranged a meeting in the courtyard. Pit stood amazed as he saw the castle. He had never seen such a mortal building that huge before. He giggled lightly as he walked into the courtyard and started to pick at the flowers. He squealed a bit as he played around with some daisies. Sheik only smiled sweetly as she saw the tiny angel act so innocently.

As Pit was pulling at a flower, he noticed a strange creature on one of the petals. It was a tiny bee. Pit giggled a bit, however, his yanking did cause the bee to fly off from the petal and towards Pit. Pit jumped back a bit as he tried to avoid the bee, however, the bee stung the tiny angel's hand. Pit let out a yelp as he tried to massage where the bee stung him. The tiny insect fell to the ground, after it had done its job. Sheik quickly rushed over to Pit and took a good look at his hand. "Are you okay?" she asked.

"Waah!" Pit whined. "That thing hurt Pit!"

"Calm down, I'll mend your wound. Just relax." Sheik started to mess around with the bandages that were on her hands and fingers and ripped them apart. She took some of the ripped bandages to tie the wound. "Now Pit, I need you to drink this red potion I have. If you do, the pain will go away."

"Red…potion?"

"Yes. Now…drink it," Sheik said as she took out the red potion and handed it to Pit.

Pit looked at the liquid with a suspicious look. He opened the bottle and drank the entire thing. After he was done, he handed the bottle back.

"Now do you feel better?" Sheik asked.

"Y-yes…" Pit replied as he sniffed lightly. As Sheik looked at the tiny angel, she was very tempted to just hug him until the end of time. _Why is he so…adorable? _she thought as she blushed lightly. Zelda coughed lightly to get Sheik's attention. Once the Sheikah was at full attention, Zelda let out a sigh as she prepared her speech.

"As you all know," Zelda said, "we encountered Link today. Even though my prayers have been answered and that he is well…what he tried to do is very questionable. At this point…I'm not even sure if we should trust him…he is working under Ganondorf."

"Link…" Sheik said. "That can't be true. There has to be something else. Whatever he's doing is something important. He would never cross us!"

"That is what I hope. I really wish it was simple enough. I want him to tell me what is going on. I want to know what he's doing. Why is he working for Ganondorf?"

"If I knew the answers," Impa said, "I would tell you everything. But for right now…all we can do is just watch out for him. You are wise to give him a benefit of a doubt…but we should be careful. Even more so since he knows his way around the castle. Nothing can prevent him from coming here himself and taking you with him. He can easily do it without being detected. Link being on Ganondorf's side is a great danger."

"I know…" Zelda replied. "I want the castle to be on high alert and security. However…I don't know if that can be accomplished. Father will ask why."

"I'm sure that he will ask you regardless. Today, was a catastrophe. The festival was ruined and you were almost kidnapped. Not to mention that Ike and Sheik were almost killed."

"What are we going to do?" Ike asked.

"I don't know yet…" Zelda replied. "But I do know one thing and that's all three of you have to be in high alert. I trust you three to protect me well."

"We will do our best, Your Highness," Impa said.

"You know you can always count on me," Sheik replied.

"Zelda…" Ike responded. "I'll do my best to protect you with my life! I promise I won't fail you again!"

Zelda smiled sincerely at Ike. "Thank you," she said, "I know all three of you can do this. However, I don't think Link will be coming back any time soon."

"What makes you so sure?"

"I have a feeling. Why would he approach me as he is right now? He's wounded, obviously. However, one thing that gets to me. Even though it is evident that Link has betrayed us…I wonder why is it that he can still handle the Master Sword? He shouldn't be able to."

"What's so special about the Master Sword?" Ike asked.

"The Master Sword can't be wield by anyone," Impa said as she looked up at the sky. "Only those chosen by destiny can use it. The Master Sword is the evil destroying sword. Those with tainted hearts can not even touch the blade. What is strange is that…he was using the sword?"

"To its full potential," Zelda replied. "He was wielding it, as nothing happened. Nothing has changed from him. Which brings up the question…can the Master Sword actually pick an owner? Did it claim Link as its true owner, despite what he's done?"

Impa remained quiet. Even though she knew a great deal about the sword, it wasn't enough for her to answer that question. She simply shook her head. "I don't know," she replied. "I don't' know."

Everyone remained silent. Ike didn't know what he could do. He knew that this was a grave matter, but he wasn't too sure what he could do. He wasn't from Hyrule and even though he's spent months under Zelda's wing, he still didn't get what this world had to offer. The Master Sword seemed to be what was odd about Link. If Link was still wielding the sword…could that possibly mean that there was still some good in him. What is his true nature? He looked over at Sheik. The blond Sheikah girl was the one that looked the most upset about the situation. Apparently, Link was a close friend of hers and she didn't want to think ill of him.

"Hey," Ike said. "Why not ask Pit. I'm sure he can check it out in his magical cauldron thing. He saw us."

"Hey, that's a great idea!" Zelda said. "Pit…can you help us out, please?"

"Pit wants to," Pit replied. "But Pit can't at the moment."

"Why not?"

"Because Palutena has asked me to protect Princess Zelda. Pit can't return to Angel Land until Ganondorf is finally defeated. Pit is very sorry…"

"That's okay," Zelda said as she hugged Pit. "I appreciate your help."

"Pit wishes he could have helped more."

"So…what are we going to do now?" Ike asked.

"We are going to wait," Zelda said as she released her hold on Pit. "As long as I have all of you here with me, I'll be safe. One thing is for sure…I need to see Link. I need to confront him one more time before I pass judgment on him."

At that moment, a lone guard approached the princess. "Your Highness," the guard bowed to her. "The king has sent me to bring you to him."

"I understand," Zelda said. "Please excuse me, everyone. Impa, follow me."

"Understood," Impa replied as she walked along side Zelda to the inside of the castle. The walk to the throne room seemed to be the longest one, Zelda has ever walked. Her heart pounded fast as she took each step towards her destination. Once she had arrived, she met with her father. King Harken seemed rather worried and displeased.

"Zelda," the king spoke, "I am so glad that you are unharmed."

"As I am," Zelda replied as she bowed to her father.

"My daughter, did you happen to see who our kidnapper was? Some people in Hyrule say that it was a young man with blond hair. They say that he was wielding what many believed is the Master Sword. Tell me…do you know who that man was?"

Zelda stood silent for a moment. Her eyes shifted away from her father. She knew who it was and she knew what her father was going to do next if she told him. There is going to be a bounty on Link's head. If he so much as stepped into Hyrule Castle Town Market, he would be locked away if he comes quietly, or killed on sight which was most likely to happen. _I can't tell him, _she thought, _not yet. I need Link. I need to ask him what he is going to do. I'm sorry, Father…but its for Link's sake. I know this is foolish…but I can't let you kill him._

"No," Zelda replied as she looked at her father. "I don't know who that is. I really…don't recall who it was that kidnapped me." Impa looked at Zelda with a confused look. She wanted to speak out against the princess. Before she could protest, Zelda looked at Impa with a shocked look. Impa had seen that look far too much. It signified that Zelda was begging her not to tell her father the truth of it all. _I hope you know what you're doing, _Impa thought as she remained quiet.

"Are you being sincere with me, Zelda?" King Harken asked. "This man…wouldn't happen to be Link, would he? You wouldn't happen to be protecting him, would you?"

"Of course not…"

"Zelda…"

"Father…I am being sincere with you. That man was not Link. If he was…I would have recognized him. If it was him…he wouldn't be forgiven for such a heinous crime."

Once Zelda had finished shouting, her eyes stung. She tried not to cry a single tear in front of her father. Harken's hard face soften when he noticed how hurt his daughter was. He knew that now was the time to cut their chat short. "Very well," he said. "I will let you go. However, I will increase security around the castle. I need to make sure that you will be okay."

"Thank you, Father," Zelda said. "I'll be alright." Zelda bowed to the king as she excused herself. Impa and Zelda walked into the courtyard once more where Ike and the rest were waiting for her. Ike rushed over to Zelda in a concerned manner.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

"I'm fine…" Zelda replied softly. "I just…couldn't…"

"Couldn't what?"

"I couldn't tell my father…about Link. I'm sorry…"

"Zelda…you should have…"

"It is getting dark," Impa interrupted. "You should rest, Your Highness, you've had a long and busy day."

"Alright…I shall retire to my quarters. Good night, everyone." Zelda bowed at her guardians before she headed towards her room. Impa trailed along to watch over the princess. Ike, Sheik, and Pit were left in the courtyard. Pit flew up towards the roof of the castle and sat on the edge. He looked down at Sheik and Ike. He waved at the pair cheerfully.

"Pit, what are you doing up there?" Sheik asked.

"Pit doesn't need sleep," Pit replied happily. "So Pit will stay up here to keep watch. You go ahead and go to sleep, Sheik!"

Sheik looked up at the tiny angel. She felt a little bit tired, but didn't want to sleep already. Thinking that staying up a bit to keep watch and keeping Pit company would kill two birds with one stone. Sheik teleported from the ground and landed near Pit. She sat down next to the angel. "I'll keep watch with you," she said.

"Are you sure?" Pit asked. "You look very tired."

"I'm sure. Besides, you can't do this all by yourself."

"Okay! Pit appreciates your company."

Ike shook his head playfully. He decided to leave those two by themselves. The blue haired mercenary walked around the gardens and the castle hallways, keeping watch. That night was rather quiet. Ike had gotten bored of just walking around the castle. It must have been rather late at night, since he felt his eyelids become heavy. He needed to stay in the castle to guard Zelda.

However, when sleep came to him, he headed over to his old room in the hidden hallway, took off his tunic, cape, and armor, kicked off his boots, and took a light nap. When Ike jerked up, he looked out the window. It was still the middle of the night. Just before he was about to sleep once more, Ike heard a strange noise from the hallways.

He quickly got out of bed, took a hold of the Regal Sword approached the door. He slowly opened the wooden the door and walked slowly and quietly out of his room. He saw the shadow before him. _It must be him! _he thought as he quickly pursued the shadow. _He came back for her!_ The shadow quickly ran through the hallways while Ike followed furiously. As he finally caught up with the figure, he noticed that it stopped in the courtyard.

Zelda was looking up at the night sky. Her gaze shifted from the stars and towards Ike. Zelda noticed that her guardian had his sword in his hand. "Oh!" Zelda let out. "Did I startle you?"

"A little," Ike said bluntly. "I thought you were him."

"Oh…I'm sorry! I didn't mean to…"

"It's alright. What are you doing up at this hour?"

"I couldn't sleep. There has been a lot on my mind lately."

"About him?"

"Yes…I can't stop thinking about him. I'm concerned about him and I can't…if he truly betrayed us…I don't know what I'll do. So…whenever I'm worried, I come here to this place and I look at the stars. I really enjoy being here…its like…I can be at peace and not worry…about being kidnapped, Ganondorf, and…being a princess. I never told anyone this…but I hate being a princess. Ever since the day I was born, everyone expects me to be a great ruler…I love my people…I just don't…want to fail at it. That's why I curse myself a lot whenever I feel so helpless in a situation."

Ike looked at Zelda. She looked so frail as she stood in front of him in her pink nightgown. The night wind blew gently against her body. Her long locks danced along with the wind. She looked beautiful, yet he couldn't stand to see the princess with such a sadden look on her face. Ike tried to think of a way to cheer her up. He looked at the water and approached it. In one swift movement, he splashed water at her. Zelda let out a squeal as she felt the cool liquid against her body.

"What did I do?" She asked in a stern matter.

"You looked upset," Ike replied. "I thought this might keep your mind off things. I bet you can't splash me with water!"

"Oh! I'll show you!" Zelda approached the water. She took two hands full of water and splashed at Ike. Ike let out a yelp as he noticed that the water was very cold. He smirked as he started to splash back at the princess. Zelda giggled as she replied his attacks with a couple of her own. The two youths ended up playing in the water. Zelda lightly pushed Ike, in which Ike grabbed the princess in return. She giggled lightly as she ended up tickling Ike's sides.

The blue haired mercenary tried not to laugh, but it was rather hard when Zelda's fingertips were freezing. He took a hold of her wrists and held them up so that she couldn't tickle him anymore. Both were giggling lightly until it died down. Zelda realized how close her and Ike were at the moment. His strong, muscular body lightly touched her now wet nightgown. Their faces were so close to each other that she could feel Ike's warm breath against her lips.

Ike slowly released his hold on the princess as soon as he noticed Zelda looking at him with a dreamy look. A slight blush brushed against his pale cheeks. It must have been an eternity in which both youths looked at each other. Sapphire meeting with sapphire. It was then that Zelda broke the ice. She broke away from their gaze. "Thank you…for helping me," she replied softly.

"No problem," Ike responded.

"I'll head off to bed now," Zelda responded as she leaned over to Ike. She pressed her soft lips lightly against his cheek. She smiled nervously as she walked out of the courtyard and towards her room. Ike slowly placed his hand on the cheek where Zelda kissed him and smiled softly. From the rooftop, Sheik looked down at the blue haired mercenary.

"Heh…so he does like the princess then," she said in a hushed tone.

"We shouldn't be looking at this," Pit said.

"I know…but its just too cute. He may not be Prince Charming and he may not be the brightest man in the world…but…for some strange reason…I know he can be a good man for the princess."

"Are Princess Zelda and Ike in love?"

"I…I don't know. One things for sure…none of those two will admit their love for each other."

Pit just smiled at Sheik as he leaned over at her. "Can you…" he said. "Show me your face?"

"What?!"

"Pit want to see it…at least once. Pit bets that you are beautiful."

Sheik blushed a bit as she heard him say that. Letting out a sigh, she complied. She slowly unraveled her turban to reveal her long blond locks. Her face was tan yet beautiful. Her ruby eyes sparkled in the moonlight. Her pale lips seemed soft like peaches. Pit blushed slightly as he smiled cheerfully. "See?" He squeaked. "Pit was right! Sheik is pretty! Very pretty!"

"Stop…" Sheik replied. "You're just saying that."

"Pit wouldn't lie! Besides…Pit can't lie. Pit's an angel!"

Sheik just smiled at him. She wasn't too sure, but he does have a tendency to make her smile. It was strange for anyone to make her smile sweetly. Sheik let out a yawn as sleep was creeping up to her. She slowly leaned over and rested her head on Pit's shoulder. Eventually she slept soundly. Pit stretched his wing and covered the Sheikah with it. He looked up at the stars and counted them in his head.

The next morning, Impa paced back and forth in the hidden hallway. She was hesitant to go into Ike's room, but she needed to teach him. _He needs to learn this technique if he is to defeat Link, _she thought. _Still…I don't know if I should teach him…in case he too will betray the princess._ Impa knocked on the door lightly. When no one answered, she knocked again, this time louder. In a couple of minutes, she heard some soft groaning. Ike opened the door. His left eye twitched lightly. "Am I late?" he asked softly.

"No," Impa said. "We do have much to do, so dress up and head over to Kakariko Village."

Ike merely nodded as he closed the door to his room. He dressed as quickly as he could and started to walk out of the castle. Before he left the castle grounds, he was stopped by Zelda. The princess merely smiled as she approached the mercenary. "Good morning, Ike," she said. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine," he replied.

"Really? You look rather tired."

"No! I'm fine, really."

"It's just that….whenever you're tired, your left eye twitches."

"It does?" Ike asked. "Heh…I guess you and Soren have something in common. You seem to catch things about me."

"Anyway…have a nice day in training. And please….be careful, okay?"

"Sure thing, princess." Ike bowed at Zelda before he left her. Once Ike had arrived at Kakariko Village, Impa was waiting for him by the lone tree in the village. She crossed her arms as Ike approached her.

"Good timing," she said. "There is much to teach you today."

"Alright…where's Sheik?" Ike asked.

"That I don't know. I have not seen her at all this morning…I'm rather concerned."

As if on cue, Sheik dropped from the sky and landed near Impa. She bowed her head to Impa in shame. "I'm sorry I'm late!" She let out. "I didn't mean to over sleep!"

"This is rather odd for you to do. Normally you are ready before the sun rises."

"Yeah…I know…but something caught up with me."

"Never mind that. Today is a special training. Ike…I'm going to teach you a technique that has been taught by the Great Fairies to great heroes. There are only two people that know this technique, me and the other is…Link. If you can master this move, you can master anything."

"You want me to learn something that he knows?"

"Yes. Now…this attack is known as the Kaiten Giri! This attack uses magic. You may not use magic, but you can at least learn its movements. This attack will make you more alert of all your surroundings. Now… Sheik and I are going to attack you from a random side and you must counter with this attack. Are you ready?"

"I…yeah."

Impa threw a Deku Nut on the ground and disappeared along with Sheik. Ike waiting patiently for their attack. He held his sword tightly. Just then, he heard some rustling in the grass. As Ike spun around, he missed Sheik. The Sheikah girl managed to jab at Ike's side. Impa rushed over to Ike and delivered a blow to his back. Ike fell on the ground and rolled.

The rest of the day didn't go so well for Ike. The Kaiten Giri was something he was not used to. The more he tried, the less he'd be close into connecting to any of the girls. _It's no good, _he thought, _my sword is too heavy. I swing too slow. Link's sword was a lighter sword which he uses with one hand and a shield in the other. The Regal Sword, I can use with one hand, but when it comes down to it, I need both hands to sustain it._

Ike had to think of a way to use this technique and to use it properly. An idea struck his head. He closed his eyes and waited for any of the girls to arrive. He heard the footsteps of one of the woman. He held his sword in a strange manner and waited for the attack. Impa slashed at Ike, who in turn, turned around, blocked the kodachi with his blade then slashed at Impa. Impa tumbled back as she barely missed the blade hit her.

"Stop!" Impa yelled. At that moment, Sheik landed right beside Impa with her daggers in hand. "Hmm…interesting. You used the Kaiten Giri in a different way. I see that the normal technique can't be learned by you. You are too slow to use it. However, you did change it up a bit. Impressive, indeed. You certainly are turning out to be like the hero."

Even though it was suppose to be a compliment, Ike couldn't see it as one. "Like the hero?" Ike said. "Like him…"

"I…"

"How come everyone compares me with him? I don't know how he was back then but one things for sure, I never want to end up like him and betray Zelda."

"You've done well for today," Impa said. "Take the rest of the day off…you need to rest. Same thing with you, Sheik."

"Auntie Impa?" Sheik responded as she placed a hand on Impa's shoulder.

"I need to head off to the Shadow Temple and meditate. I'll be back at the castle before sunset."

With that, Impa walked off in the direction of the graveyard. Ike let out a sigh as he walked back to the castle. Sheik was stuck in the middle of it all. "Ike…" she let out.

Back in the Gerudo Fortress, Samus was still on her bed. She stared at the ceiling as she waited for her companion to come back. Just then, the door to her room opened. Marth walked in with his cold expression on his face. Hung around his neck was Link. The blond Hylian was bleeding from his face. His body was bruised and somewhat limp.

Immediately, Samus got up from bed and limped over to Marth and Link. "Link!" She let out as she kneeled before the blond elf. Marth slowly placed him down on the ground next to Samus. "Tell me…what happened," Samus said as she looked at Marth. Marth's only response was with a blank stare. To Samus, it was hard for her to see that doll like man before her as an actual person. _I should have known, _Samus thought. _Ever since I got here, Marth has never spoke a single word to me. Its like I'm talking to a lifeless doll. He never once smiled, spoke, flinched, or anything. Its like he's got no feelings what so ever._

However, something caught the bounty hunter's attention. The small jewel that was on the strange device that Marth had around his neck started to glow brightly. It was strange. Whenever a dire situation happened with Link and Samus, the jewel would glow brightly, yet Marth would not do a single thing. The blue haired man searched in his tunic and pulled out a blue potion. He handed it over to Samus then left her room.

Samus turned her attention over her bleeding companion. Link slowly sat right up. Pain surged through his body. He winced as he placed a hand upon his side. "Heh…" he let out. "Hiya, Samus."

"Hi?" Samus replied. "Is that all you can say? You idiot! He could have killed you! You should have taken me with you!"

"And have you hurt? Nah…besides, this isn't bad. I'm okay!"

Samus pinched Link's arm right where he got a bruise. Link's eyes widen as he let out a yell. "You're okay, huh?" Samus said. "You really are an idiot! You can't take all the burden of the world and try to fix it yourself. Why do you always take the fall for me?"

Link looked at Samus with soft and sincere eyes. He smiled warmly at her. "Because…I need to protect you," he said as he placed a hand through her golden locks.

"I'm not a princess!" Samus spat as she pushed his hand away from her hair.

"I know you like to push me away…but you can't do it forever. I know deep down…you care. You may be tough on the outside…but inside…you're a woman with a soft heart."

"Shut up! What do you know?"

"Easy…why are you so worried about me? Why do you worry about what will happen to me in the near future?"

Samus stopped for a moment. He apparently had gotten a checkmate against Samus. All the bounty hunter could do is just look away. _Stupid, _she thought. _I'm not suppose to get involve with anyone. I'm here on a mission. Once this mission is done, I will never see him again. Never! Never…he shouldn't think of me as a friend._ "You know…I'm just a bounty hunter," she said. "I have no need for friends."

Link just cocked his head. "Heh! Don't say that!" He chirped happily. "Everyone needs friends! Even you! Especially you! I think you're a special person and I think you need some happiness in your life."

"Happiness…? Heh…that's not exactly what you should tell me. I have no need for that, only money."

"I like it when you play Miss Tough Girl with me. I think its cute."

Samus pinched Link again after he commented on that. She just sighed as she gave Link the blue potion. After Link drank the potion, Samus began to clean the wounds from his face and body. She carefully wiped off all of the blood from his face and mended his other wounds. Once she was done, she moved him over to her bed and placed him there. "You're going to need to recover, so stay there," she said.

"What about you?" Link asked.

"I'll use your room," she replied. "After all…I don't want to carry you all the way to your room. Anyway, you should head off to bed now."

"Samus…thanks for your help. I'm glad you're here with me."

"I'm…glad you're here too." Samus walked out from her room, closed the door and headed over to Link's room. She laid down on his bed and covered herself with the sheets. As she tried to doze off, she breathed in Link's scent through his sheets. It was strange how the Hylian smelled of apples and flowers for some strange reason.

Whatever the reason why he smelled like apples and flowers, Samus didn't care. The smell was very soothing to her as she fell asleep.

Meanwhile, walking down the hallway, Marth reached the far end of the corridor of the fortress. He looked out the window to see the full moon in full view. He extended his hand as if he were trying to touch it. He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out of his mouth. He slowly placed his hands on the strange device that was around his neck and tried to pull it off. But a strong surge of electricity coursed through his body. Marth released his hold on the device. He wanted to yell in anger…but he knew he couldn't.

_The chapter is one! Whoot! For those that don't know what Kaiten Giri means…its basically the Spin Attack._

_Chapter Six: Pure as Snow_

_- "This was the place…where we shared our first kiss."_


	6. Chapter 6: Pure as Snow

-1_Yatta! Here's the next chapter! I'm so into the Ike x Zelda pairing. squee_

**A Hero's Creed**

**Chapter Six: Pure as Snow**

It had been two months since Link came to Hyrule and attacked. For Ike, it had been two grueling months of having to be under his shadow. Ike hated being compared to Link even more with each passing day. Often he had to tell Impa and Sheik that he really didn't appreciate it. Impa would often apologize and Sheik tried her best not to say anything, but often Link's name would slip from their lips.

All in all, Ike just gave up on trying to fix that all together. The blue haired mercenary didn't care anymore. He looked outside of his widow and saw the pure white snow. He knew his time was running out. Come the first day of spring and he will have to head back to Crimea. Back to where he was known as just Ike, the son of Greil not Ike, Zelda's guardian and Link's replacement.

As he looked out the window, he noticed Princess Zelda outside. She had now been wearing a puffy purple coat with a thicker version of her normal dress. She giggled as she picked up the snow, formed it into a snowball and threw it at Pit. The poor unsuspecting angel couldn't dodge that snowball on time. Since he was an angel, the cold didn't affect him. He could stay outside in the snow wearing only his toga and couldn't feel a thing.

Pit sneezed a bit as he tried to get rid of all the snow that was now on his face. He let out a pout before he gathered snow in his hands and threw a snowball at Zelda. Zelda tried to dodge the ball, but it ended up hitting her cloak. "Hehe," she giggled, "You have to do better than that, Pit!"

"Don't worry!" Pit said. "Pit will get you!"

Sheik rushed around in the snow, hiding from everyone. Apparently, Sheik was practicing her stealth skills in the snow. Wearing all white, she crawled as she approached her target. Impa had been busy reading a book that was in her hands. She let out a sigh as she counted in her head backwards. When Impa finished at one, she moved out the way. At that precise moment, Sheik bounced from the ground to try to grab Impa, however, she couldn't grasp her and fell over in the snow, flat on her face.

"You need to try better," Impa said.

"Damn it!" Sheik said as she shook the snow from her face. "This isn't easy."

"I know! That's why you need to practice!"

Ike eventually left his room and walked into the courtyard. Once he was outside, he was greeted by Zelda and the rest. "Sir Ike!" Zelda let out as she approached the mercenary. "How did you sleep? Did you sleep well?"

"I slept quite alright, princess," Ike replied.

"Good!" Sheik said. "Because stealth training is gonna be a nightmare for you!"

"Stealth training?"

"Yes," Impa said. "You're going to need to learn basic stealth training. This may take you about two months maybe even three but…"

"I don't have that much time," Ike replied.

"Why not?"

"I'll be leaving soon."

Upon hearing those words, everyone stopped what they were doing. Sheik dropped her dagger, Pit looked at Ike with a whiny look. Impa was left a bit shocked, but the one that took it the most was Princess Zelda. To Zelda, it felt like her heart just dropped down the ground and was now hidden in the snow. She tried not to frown at Ike. "You…you're leaving," Zelda replied.

"Yes," Ike responded. "I have to head back to Crimea. My father wanted me to head here for training and so far I've learned a great deal from all of you. I need to get back to my mercenary group. After all…I am to inherit my father's legacy."

"Ike has to go?" Pit asked.

"Yes…I have to go."

"Right now?"

"No! Not right now. But soon. I'll leave when spring comes."

"Pit's gonna miss you!" Pit ran over to Ike and hugged him tightly.

"I'm gonna miss you too."

Sheik looked down at her dagger. She fondled with it a bit as she tried not to get upset over this. _This was bound to happen, _she thought. _He said he was coming for training only. His intentions were to stay here and live here with us. But still…that jerk! He should stay! He's…my best friend._ Sheik had gotten so frustrated that she threw the dagger on the ground in an angry puff. Impa noted that and let out a sigh. She knew that her niece wasn't going to take this too nicely. However, the one person she was worried about was Zelda.

Zelda played around with her fingers. She tried not to cause a scene, especially since it was not lady like nor should she, as a princess show much emotion for a hired hand. "Ike…" Zelda said. "I…excuse me." Zelda walked by Ike. Her azure eyes did not dare to even look at him as she walked by. She wanted to hide from him. She didn't want him to see her as she was right now.

The princess walked out from the courtyard and back into the castle. She quickly ran through the hallways until she reached her room. Opening the door she locked it. Zelda looked around her room and tried to look for an item. _Where is it? _she thought. _I want to find that item! I want him to have it! _As Zelda searched frantically for her item, Impa appeared before her. "Impa!" Zelda let out.

"I know you are upset, Your Highness," Impa said. "But you just can't…"

"I know I can't change anything…" Zelda began to cry. "But I am trying to look for my ocarina. I…I want him to have it."

"I thought Link took it with him."

"No…before he left the castle, he left the ocarina here with me."

"Princess…" Impa said. "You can't be serious about giving the Ocarina of Time to Ike. I know he has been the most loyal mercenary ever but we can't give him…"

"Please…I just want him to have something to remember me by. It will be safe in his hands…just so I can at least hope that he will one day come back to give it back to me."

"Your Highness…"

"Do you think of me as selfish?" Zelda asked as she looked up at her nanny. "Wanting him to come back?"

"No…" Impa replied as she kneeled down and hugged the princess. "I do not think of you as selfish. I just merely think of you as a woman. You as a princess needs to set an example for the kingdom. Getting upset over this lone mercenary isn't best suited for you. Besides…even if he were to stay here…what would you do with him? Your father is trying to find you an alleged suitor. I'm sure a prince will one day come and make you happy."

"I…" Zelda sobbed. "I don't care! I know I am not best suited for a princess. I…I do all these things because I care for my people. Is that why I must sacrifice my own happiness and love…for them? I guess that is why I am best suited for a princess…I can never leave everything behind for someone."

_This is bad, _Impa thought, _Princess Zelda is in love with Ike. Not only is this wrong because of their social status…but because he is a beorc, not a Hylian like us. The princess falling in love with a peasant beorc. His Highness will not approve of that…no matter how much Ike has done for us. I am sorry…Zelda that you have to suffer being a princess. But I know you are good for our kingdom. _ Impa hugged Zelda tightly as she tried to control the princess' sorrows.

Zelda was not one to cry often. If she ever felt sad, she often shrugged it off and hid behind everything else. At the moment, she was trying not to cry over Ike. However, because her heart felt like it was being shattered into dozens of pieces, it was very difficult not to. Once she had got control of herself, Impa helped the princess look for her ocarina. Once she found it, Zelda got up from the ground and ran over to the door.

However on her way out, she noticed herself in the mirror. She looked like a total wreck. "I can't go out looking like this," she said. "What if someone sees me like this?" Zelda began to primp herself up. She stopped once Impa placed her hands on the princess' hands and placed them on the dresser.

"Your Highness," Impa said. "May I advice you that you should not do such thing. You are not to primp yourself for that man!"

"What?" Zelda asked.

"Of course not! You need to dress yourself into a beautiful gown! You need to put some rouge on you and dress in the finest jewelery."

"Impa…what are you trying to say?" Zelda asked softly.

"I'm talking about you having a good evening with Ike! Tonight is the Winter Moon Ball, or did you forget?"

"Tonight?!" Zelda let out as she pulled away from Impa. She searched through her closet to find something suitable to wear. "What should I do? What should I wear? I can't believe I forgot that today was the ball! I'm never like this! I never forget about things! It must be because…"

"Because you are too enthralled with your hired hand?" Impa asked in a comical tone.

"Impa! I…am certainly not!"

The elderly Sheikah just chuckled slightly. "Not enthralled by him?" She responded. "You looked frantically for the ocarina to give to him. It is the special treasure of the Hyrule Royal Family and yet you dare to say that you are not even the tiniest bit infatuated with him? You, My Ladyship, will be joshing me. And believe me, Princess Zelda, I know you better than you know yourself. I've seen you recently how you look at Ike. You actually look more like a town folk woman than a princess."

"Impa….is it that obvious?"

"Even Pit sees it. Sheik was the first to find out."

"But…" Zelda said. "I don't know what he thinks."

"One has to be blinded in order not to see the much love I see behind his azure eyes whenever he sees you," Impa said. "You should have seen his face when he told you he had to leave Hyrule soon. Though he never expresses his feelings often, I could see through his ruse that he was hurting inside greatly."

"Impa…if you know that I have to marry another….why are you doing this?" Zelda asked.

"Because dearest," Impa said. "Even though I shouldn't be encouraging this affair, you two seem so happy when you're together. You hardly ever smiled and when he arrived, he hardly ever smiled as well. Once you two started to spend time together, you both radiated brightly. It made me so happy to see you smile often. You should at least be happy….even if its just for a moment. You should look your best tonight…for him."

"I will," Zelda replied as she hugged Impa tightly. "Thank you so much for understanding me."

"You're welcome," Impa replied as she hugged back. "Now…we have to find you the best dress to wear for tonight."

While Zelda and Impa were getting the princess prepared. Ike had still been depressed. Many thoughts were rise up in his head. Most of them were about his feelings for the princess. Sheik looked at her best friend and rolled her eyes. If Ike wasn't going to talk about it, she was going to make him. She walked over to the blue haired warrior and hit him behind the head. Ike's eyes widen as he placed a hand on his head to massage his wound. "Geez!" He let out. "What was that for?!"

"That's for being a jerk!" Sheik shouted.

"I didn't do anything to you yet."

"It's not what you've done to me! Its more like what you've done to yourself! You're right there moping and groaning about something that's been bothering you all this time!"

"It isn't a big deal," he replied.

"It is a big deal! Because right now you are heartbroken, aren't you?"

Ike remained silent. He placed a finger in the snow and began to play around with it.

"Aren't you?!" Sheik shouted.

"Perhaps…" Ike responded. "But what difference will that make? I came here for training. I didn't want to get involved with the princess. I didn't want to get closer to her…yet I failed at that. I knew that I was going to leave soon…and now…I just…I don't want to…"

"Then don't leave," Sheik said. "It's as simple as that."

"No, it isn't. I have to go back home. My father is expecting me to one day take over Greil's Mercenaries and I need to be ready to handle that responsibility. What if something happens to my father while I'm here? I have to go back to make sure everything is alright! If Father dies…Mist will be in trouble. She can't handle being leader. She will be an easy target and I can't have her face that."

"What about Princess Zelda?" Sheik asked. "What about her? She's still in danger! If you leave, she might die! She will be exposed to so much danger! And more importantly…don't you care about her? Or do you only care about money?"

"To a mercenary…money is the absolute….to me…I care about Princess Zelda too much," Ike turned away from Sheik. He didn't want to face her. "Besides…I should have known better. She's a princess and I am just a nobody. Even if I did stay here and all…there is no future for us. We'd be a taboo. I've seen the guards and how they react whenever I'm near the princess. If they can't stand me guarding her…I doubt they'd be happy if I we were lovers."

"Why should they care?" Sheik asked.

"Normally I wouldn't care if she were a dragon laguz…but that is if she were the same as me, social wise. She's a princess and it will look bad on her part."

"If she wasn't….would you stay here for her?"

"If she wasn't…I would take her with me to Crimea and see if I can have her stay with Mist. I wouldn't want her to be a mercenary or anything…but I would want to keep her in a safe place. That life…isn't for her."

"Hmm….yeah, I can see why you're hurting right now," Sheik replied. "After all…once you leave, you'll never come back…will you?"

"I am not too sure. I am not too sure if I'll come back. The possibilities of that happening are slim to none. Maybe I can come back once I take over my father's mercenary group."

"When will that be? Fifteen to twenty years? By then Hyrule will be different, you'll be different…she will be different. By then she would have married to a prince or king of some sort. Then what?"

"Heh…Sure it will hurt and all…but what else if there for me to do? Zelda is off limits to people like me. The sad truth is Sheik, she and I are from two different worlds. That will never change. As much as I don't care what we are…I wouldn't want to risk anything on her part. I care about her too much to ruin what her family has done for generations."

Sheik and Pit only frowned at Ike, who still haven't so much as looked at them. Sheik tried to think of what to say next, but words only died at the tip of her tongue. Suddenly, an idea struck her. She smiled underneath her turban as she walked over to Ike. In one foul swoop, she picked up him his feet and started to push him towards the inside of the castle. "Hey! What are you doing?" Ike asked.

"I'm going to get you ready for the Winter Moon Ball," she responded.

"Winter Moon Ball?"

"Yes! Come on, Pit! We're gonna make Ike handsome tonight!"

"Okay! Pit will make Ike handsome tonight!"

Sheik and Pit dragged Ike into his room. Once inside, the duo began to search his wardrobe for something special he can wear. Ike only shrugged saying that he really didn't have anything fancy for him to wear. However, something on his bed caught his attention. He looked over and saw a light blue, long sleeved tunic with a pair of dark wool pants. Underneath the tunic was a dark blue cape. Sheik and Pit nodded to each other as they began to dress up Ike.

Evening was approaching quite fast. The sun was setting as the festivities were rising. In the town market, music was playing as people were dancing and feasting. While the festivities were going on, back in his room, Ike had dressed in his new clothes. He looked at himself in the mirror and gave off a confused look. "This is me?" he asked himself.

"I'm not use to you wearing such fancy things," Sheik said. "But it is a holiday. Now go out there!"

"What about you?"

"I'll be fine! Pit and I will catch up later! You just…go out there and watch over the princess."

"Alright…take care then."

"You too!"

"Bye, Ike!" Pit squeaked as he waved his hand in the air.

Ike waved back at Pit before he walked off down the hallways and out of the castle. Ike arrived at the town square and waited for Zelda to arrive. To pass the time, Ike chatted away with Malon. Apparently, the Winter Moon Festival was her favorite one of all. She drank a bottle of Lon Lon Milk and gave Ike his own personal bottle of Lon Lon Milk. Ike wasn't a big milk fan, but since Malon insisted he take it, he took it graciously.

Just then, two rows of guards came by followed by six knights. The Royal Advisor announced Zelda was coming. Upon hearing the princess' name, Ike turned his full attention over to the knights. The princess walked passed them. Her attire was by far the most stunning of all. Her wore a light blue dress which was sleeveless. It sparkled like jewels and moved gently like the calm sea. Her shoulders showed, but one could not tell since they were covered by a lilac colored cloak. Her hair was usually in a loose ponytail, but this time, it was let loose. Upon her forehead was a tiara with a blue gem.

To everyone in town, she was the most radiant of all. To Ike…she was too much to bare. Malon looked at Ike and just giggled a bit. After Zelda gave off her speech for Winter Moon Festival, she bowed at the people. Zelda walked around to greet the townspeople. She told them she couldn't stay too long since she had to head back to the castle for the ball. Her attention went over to Ike. She smiled sweetly at him before she started to head off towards the castle.

Malon pocked Ike in the ribs. "What are you waiting for?" She asked. "Go with her!"

"But…" Ike said.

"No buts!" Malon replied as she placed a finger on his lips to quiet him. "Go to her!"

Ike excused himself from Malon and walked behind Zelda. The guards weren't too happy about him following the princess, but Zelda scornfully told the guards to let Ike walk with her. Ike smiled lightly as he walked alongside the princess. Once they reached the castle's ballroom, Ike was stunned. There were nobles and high classed folk everywhere. The blue haired mercenary saw that the ball was a totally different party than the festival that was happening in the town square.

Before he could even ask Zelda anything, a young man approached her. He had short blond hair which was primp and curled. His dress blouse was white with red trimmings. Upon his shoulders were the princely shoulder guards. His green eyes were dull. He bowed to the princess and extended his hand. "May I ask you for this dance, dear Princess Zelda?" he asked softly.

"Well…" Zelda looked at Ike then back at the young man. "Alright, I suppose a small dance will be alright." Zelda took a hold of the young man's hand and was taken to the dance floor. As they were walking off, the young man looked back at Ike and sneered at him. Ike chose to ignore that as he just stood by the corner while he watched Zelda dance with the young man.

Zelda couldn't help but feel bad for Ike standing by himself. She really wanted to dance with him. The blond haired man noticed the princess' glances over to the mercenary. He frowned a bit before he dipped Zelda over. The young man danced with Zelda in a sultry manner, making sure that every movement he did would only upset Ike even more. "Princess Zelda," the young man said. "Your father has called out to my kingdom for a compromise. He has asked me to take your hand and make you my bride."

"He has?" Zelda asked. "What was your answer?"

"I told him that I had to look at you and get to know you. So far, the rumors are true. You are the most fairest maiden anyone can set eyes on. So I will tell him that I accept the marriage proposal."

"Is that so? Well…I just so happen to know that it is up to me to actually give a final yes."

"And what is your answer?"

"I will consider it. I do have other suitors that I must get to know better as well. Excuse me." Zelda bowed at the prince before she left the ballroom. All the while, Ike was infuriated. The sad thing about this, is that he couldn't do anything about it. While he fumed in the corner, noblewomen were gawking at him. Each of them either telling the other how handsome he is and if he would like to dance. Before any of Ike's admirers could so much as ask him anything, Ike left the ballroom.

_I can't stand these things, _he thought. _Do nobles really enjoy these things? If they do…I rather stay a peasant. _Ike eventually made it back to the courtyard where he sat down on the cold steps and looked up at the sky. He stared off in to the distance. "I wonder if Mist is having a good day," he said softly.

"I'm sure she is," spoke a soft voice. "You just have to hope she is."

Ike looked down from the sky just to see Princess Zelda standing by the courtyard entrance. "May I…join you?" she asked softly while she leaned on the stone arch of the entrance.

"You know you always can," Ike replied as he patted the area next to him for her to sit down. "it's a pity I don't have really good seats for us to sit down."

"Its alright…I really don't mind." Zelda walked across the courtyard and sat down next to Ike. "You know…this was the place."

"Place?"

"This was the place…where we shared our first kiss," Zelda said.

"You talking about Link?" Ike asked in a flat tone.

"Yes…"

"Were you and him…an item?"

"It is strange…" Zelda said. "Up to this day, I'm not too sure what we were. All I know is that we were good friends. After he kissed me, he acted like nothing happened at all. I wasn't too sure if he…thought of me that way. However…I greatly appreciated what he did for me. And that was to show me that I can at least have feelings of my own."

"Perhaps it might have been a good thing…"

"I'm sorry…I shouldn't have brought that up."

"If you think I'm jealous," Ike said. "I am not….well…maybe just a little."

Zelda giggled a bit. "I'm glad to get away from it all. I do like social balls…but I wish they could be open to anyone. Not to mention I wish I wouldn't have to bump into suitors asking me to marry them."

"I bet it does get a little annoying if it happens often," Ike said.

"To tell you the truth…there are a lot of downfalls into a being a princess. People telling you where to go or how to dress. People always expecting you to do something. They expect you to marry off to a high class noble family and if you marry the wrong person, people will only lynch you for it. I really hate being restricted."

"At least you have a nice place to call home," Ike replied. "My father had to start a mercenary group just to feed both Mist and I after Mother died. All of our members of our group were poor who were either dying of starvation or had nowhere else to go. I remember when we hardly had anything to eat. Mist was still just a baby. Everyone thought that she was going to die if we didn't feed her…but somehow she made it through."

"Be glad that you are free to do whatever you want. I envy that."

"Be glad you have a place to call home and don't have to risk your life for your next meal."

"I guess we do have a good amount in common," Zelda said. "We both aren't satisfied with our lives."

"Yeah…but we just have to keep going. We have to put our good foot down and just keep going. As long as I have friends who I can count on, then I'm happy."

Zelda smiled as she leaned over to Ike. She placed her head on Ike's shoulder. Ike stiffened a bit before he leaned his head on hers. Both remained quiet and just enjoyed their companies. Just then beautiful music was playing from the ballroom. Both could hear it. Ike felt a bit embarrassed about what he was thinking about. "Um…Zelda," he said softly. "Will you…do you want to dance?"

"Of course I would," Zelda replied as she moved away from Ike's shoulder. Ike got up from the ground and extended his hand over to Zelda. Zelda took it happily and was brought up to her feet. Ike lead her to the middle of the courtyard and placed his hands on her hip and her free hand. Zelda placed her remaining hand on his shoulder. Both danced happily as snow began to fall down from the sky. The snowflakes landed on Zelda's hair and eyelashes. Both were happy to be alone in their own world, even if it was for an evening.

Once the music stopped, both stopped dance. They looked at each other and smiled. Zelda eyes looked over to the arch of the entrance of the courtyard and noticed a strange plant hanging there. "There is a mistletoe," she said.

"Heh…" Ike let out. "Who knows…maybe we should kiss under it?" Ike chuckled a bit as he playfully told the princess to kiss him. He wasn't serious about it, however the next thing that happened wasn't what he expected. Zelda leaned over to Ike and kissed him softly on the lips. Ike stiffened a bit. Zelda pulled away from the mercenary.

"I'm sorry…" Zelda replied. "I shouldn't have…"

Zelda was cut off as Ike kissed her back gently. Zelda leaned over and kissed him back. She wrapped her arms around his strong neck as he wrapped his arms around her waist, bringing her closer to him. Sheik, Impa, and Pit smiled warmly as they viewed the two lovers having a tender moment. Once they broke from their kiss, Ike just embraced Zelda and held her in his arms as she relaxed happily.

Two weeks have passed since the festival. Since then, Ike and Zelda had been seeing each other secretly. They both knew that they shouldn't be doing this, but they didn't care at the moment. Zelda would always wait for Ike in the courtyard where he would appear. She would greet him with a kiss then both just enjoy each other's company. Both were content. However, spring soon arrived. The snow was finally melting. Zelda felt quite upset over it. As she waited for Ike to appear in the courtyard, she had another visitor appear before her. He was a man who hid under black armor. His red cape flowed in the air, as if it were blood.

"May I…help you?" Zelda asked in a soft tone.

"I am here looking for a young man," spoke the Black Knight. "I hear he is the son of Greil, the mercenary."

"You mean…Ike? Well, he should be arriving soon….still, who are you?"

"That isn't much of your concern, princess…but one things for sure…you are to come with me."

"What?"

Just then, the Black Knight took his sword from his back. He used the hilt of his sword and jabbed it against Zelda's stomach. Zelda coughed as she lost all her breath. "It is a pity that Ganondorf needs you," the Black Knight spoke. "However, be grateful that he needs you alive."

Ike had been busy in his room. Just as he was about to leave his room, a soft noise caught his attention. "Hello, Ike," spoke a soft male voice. Ike turned around to see both Link and Samus standing by the window. Link just smiled at him. "Looks like we're here to settle a little something."

_The chapter is done! Whoot! For those that don't know what Kaiten Giri means…its basically the Spin Attack._

_Chapter Seven: Wanderer from the Plains_

_- "So it comes down to this? I've lost everything because of you!"_


	7. Chapter 7: The Wanderer from the Plains

-1_Yatta! Here's the next chapter! I'm so into the Ike x Zelda pairing. squee_

**A Hero's Creed**

**Chapter Seven: Wanderer from the Plains**

A wind was blowing from the east. Everything was quiet out in the plains of Hyrule. A young silhouette had been wandering around for years. Scars and bruises only decorated her body from the dozens of battles she had been in. Her long, emerald colored hair reached down to her backside. It danced along with the endless blades of grass. "Spring is finally here," she said as she looked down at her blade. "The Mani Katti will surely taste the blood of my enemies. I've been tracking them down for two years now. And finally…I have reached a new land. This time…I won't let them escape!"

The young woman ran through the fields. Her long, blue dress flaps waved as her long legs took her through the grass. She knew that the one responsible for her tribe was in this land and she was going to settle this the way anyone from the Lorca Tribe would settle it: by fighting.

Ike was slammed against the wall. Link placed a foot on his back while Samus hand a hand on him. Both had roughened him up a bit. Since their encounter. Samus was still angry over her injury and Link was angry over Samus' injury. Link took his foot off from Ike's back and leaned over to the blue haired warrior. "Thanks for taking care of the princess," he whispered, "but I'll take it over from here. You should just go home now. These matters do not concern you and if you want to live…you should run now. He's going to kill you…"

"What?!" Ike let out. "Run away and let you take Zelda? Not likely!"

"I told you I'll take care of it!" Link hissed in Ike's ear. "If you do what I say, then the princess will not be harmed. You're ruining my plan…"

"Plan? What plan?"

"Link! What are you doing?" Samus shouted. "We have to meet up with the Black Knight. Apparently he wants Ike."

"Will you run?" Link asked Ike. "This is your last chance. Once we take you to the Black Knight, I can't guarantee that you'd live after you meet him."

"I am not running," Ike replied.

"Fine…" Link took a hold of Ike's wrist and twisted it around. "Let's go!"

Link and Samus led Ike out from his room and down the castle hallways. Samus had her gun pointed at Ike's forehead while Link held his wrist tightly. Ike only glared at the road in front of him. "They trusted you," he said. "And you backstabbed them! Some hero you are. You even broke Zelda's heart when you left. Have you no shame?"

Link looked at Ike with a blank expression. He shook his head as he tried to think of a response. "What about you?" Link asked. "You were going to leave her and go home, which you should have done. You are quite pigheaded you know? You should have left Hyrule when you had a chance. Now you're going to mess with things that should not concern you. For some strange reason, the Black Knight wanted to see you. I don't know why and I don't want to find out why."

"Why are you doing this?"

"Heh," was all Link could reply with.

As they were passing by the entrance, Ike looked over to his left and noticed something by the window of the courtyard. Laying on the ground was Princess Zelda, unconscious. Hovering over her was a man in black armor. He held in his hand a long sword. Ike's eyes widen as fear struck him. "Zelda!" Ike shouted. Samus gave him a hit in the gut.

"Be quiet!" Samus shouted.

Ike coughed a bit before he elbowed Link in the gut then knocked Samus down on the ground. He jumped out through the window and landed near the fallen princess. The blue haired mercenary kneeled on the ground and held Zelda in his arms. "Zelda!" Ike shouted. "Wake up!" Ike turned his attention over to the Black Knight. "Who are you? And what have you done to Zelda?"

"Forgive my intrusion," The Black Knight spoke. "I am known as the Black Knight. You must be the son of Greil…is that right?"

"My…father?" Ike said. "How do you know my father's name?"

"Where is your father?"

"He's back in Crimea. I came here by myself."

"I see…" The Black Knight said as he looked up at the sky. "I guess there is no use for you. However, there is a use for the girl. Ganondorf needs her so I guess I'll be taking her."

"Not a chance!" Ike shouted.

"How are you going to fight me? Are you going to fight me without a weapon?"

Ike glared at the Black Knight. He had no weapon on him. The Regal Sword was left in his room. Just then the Black Knight took out another sword and tossed it on the ground. "Pick it up," he said. "Let's see what you've got, boy."

Ike grabbed the sword and prepared to fight the Black Knight. Samus and Link looked through the window. Link grew concerned about Zelda on the ground. He slowly crawled out from the window and approached the fallen princess. Ike moved his blade over to Link's throat. "You so much as touch her and I'll kill you," Ike replied.

"Would you rather see her get trampled over by you and the Black Knight?" Link asked. "Relax, I'm just going to move her."

"If she so much as leaves the castle, I'm going to get you next."

"Fine…and I'll give you the honors." Link took a hold of the princess and carried her bridal style. He looked over at the Black Knight. "We'll handle the princess matter from here. You can do whatever you want with the boy. Just make sure that you need to know that if you wanted to get a hold of Greil…you'll need the boy alive."

"Come and fight me, boy!" The Black Knight said as he beckoned Ike to fight him.

Ike let out a yell as he ran over to the knight and swung his sword around. The Black Knight managed to parry the blade from him using his sword then knocked Ike on the ground. Ike quickly got up from the ground and swung his blade once more. The Black Knight challenged him blow for blow. No matter how fast Ike moved, it seemed that the Black Knight was faster.

The Black Knight managed to kick Ike on his stomach with his metal foot. Ike wheezed as he lost almost all of his breath. He clutched his stomach as he tried to regain himself. The Black Knight moved his sword to underneath the mercenary's neck.

"I thought you would have provided a bigger challenge for me," he spoke. "But I guess not. It seems you're only half the fighter that Greil is. Well…perhaps I can send him a message. I'm sure your father will get what I mean when I send him your severed head on a silver platter." The Black Knight rose his sword up and swung it down on Ike. However, a dozens of daggers managed to distract the Black Knight.

Sheik, who was standing over the roof of the castle had daggers within her grasps. "You!" She shouted. "Let him go!" Sheik threw the daggers that were on her hands. She jumped from the roof while reaching over in her pockets and pulled out her chain whip. She swung the whip around and managed to take a hold of the Black Knight's wrist. "Now…come quietly or I'll really mess you up!"

"Sheik…run…" Ike coughed.

"My…what do we have here?" The Black Knight said. "It looks like we have a little girl who apparently wants to play. That's fine with me." The Black Knight took a hold of the whip and managed to bring Sheik close to him. Sheik fell over on the ground. The Black Knight took a choking hold on Sheik's neck and dragged her up on the ground. "I really don't have much use for you…but I doubt you're usefully to anyone."

"Hey, Black Knight!" Link shouted. "Let's just go! We have the princess and you apparently kicked Ike's butt. So let's just go already before Ganondorf gets upset."

"We'll go when I want to go, you swine."

"Do you really want to stain your armor with that girl's blood? I mean…why bother to do that? When we could have more important things to do. And it was best to leave Ike alive. I mean…live bait is worth more than dead bait."

The Black Knight looked over at Link. Link was rather nervous. He wasn't too sure if the Black Knight was scorning him or smiling at him. He could never tell what he was thinking. "Perhaps you might be right," The Black Knight said.

At that moment, Pit flew from the sky and shot an arrow at the Black Knight. The arrow managed to pierce through the knight's left hand. The knight let out a yell as he released his hold on Sheik. Sheik fell to the ground and coughed lightly as she massaged her neck. Pit swooped over to the Black Knight. He took out his bow and arrow and disarmed it into two daggers. He began to slash at the Black Knight. The Black Knight did his best to block the attacks, however Pit was faster. Yet most of his slashes hardly did much damaged to him. The Black Knight took his sword and slashed at Pit with massive power. The slash was strong enough to push Pit. Pit clutched his chest. No blood came from him and neither were wounds, however he could feel pain and at the moment, he felt a good deal of pain.

"Ow!" He let out. "You hurt Pit! Pit is mad because evil jerk tried to kill poor Sheik and Ike!" Pit turned his attention to Link and Samus. "You bring back Princess Zelda now or else!"

Link and Samus looked over at Pit. The Black Knight let out a sigh before he took a grab of Pit's neck. He examined the poor angel when he noticed something about him. "This isn't a Heron," he said. "This is an angel."

"Angel?" Samus asked. "Are you certain?"

"Yes…this is an angel. I can sense it…he's got the same aura that those crystals have."

"Crystals?" Pit asked. "You…I can sense it too. You have the same aura as me. You…you're not an angel…are you?"

"No…I'm not an angel. But you can sense the aura, can't you?"

Pit looked over at the Black Knight's wounded hand. His blue eyes diluted as he noticed a glowing blue gem was sticking out from the armor. "No…" he said softly. "You have one…you have an Angelus Crystal!"

"Angelus Crystal?" Ike asked.

"So smart, I see." The Black Knight spoke. "I can see that the angels finally found out about the crystals. No matter…you are quite strong for such a young angel. You'll make a good crystal for Lord Ganondorf."

"No!!" Squealed Pit as he struggled to get free. "Let Pit go!"

"Link! Samus! Take the princess out of here!"

"You're not taking him anywhere!" Sheik shouted as she attacked the Black Knight. She slashed and whipped the Black Knight with her arson of weapons. However, the Black Knight only kicked Sheik hard enough on her gut to render the girl unconscious. Ike shouted as he got up from the ground, took up the sword.

"You're going to have to fight me!" Ike shouted. "Link! If you so much as take a step towards the door I swear I will kill you!"

"Then…I'll just have to dance with death," Link replied as he carried off Zelda.

"You bastard!" Ike shouted as he turned around. Just as he did, the Black Knight managed to hit Ike behind the head. The blow was strong enough to knock the mercenary unconscious.

"Stupid boy," the Black Knight spoke. "Didn't your father ever teach you, never to turn your back against your opponent. I'll have to deal with you later. Right now at the moment, I have more matters to attend to. Samus! Take the angel with you. He'll make a good gift to his lordship."

"Alright," Samus replied as she took Pit.

Pit struggled to get free, but a shot from Samus' gun was enough to paralyze Pit.

"Gah! No!" Pit shouted before he was shocked by her gun. Samus took a hold of Pit and carried him off along with Link. The Black Knight looked up at the roof. Standing on the edge was Impa. The elderly Sheikah had her arms crossed as she jumped from the roof and down at the ground.

"You really have no shame," Impa said as she took out her kodachi. "I will make sure you learn that Hyrule isn't a place for you!"

"You dare to oppose me, Sheikah?" The Black Knight spoke. "I will make sure that you are not given any mercy then."

"If you wish to have a good fight against me…we are to leave the castle grounds. There isn't enough space for both of us here."

"I agree," The Black Knight replied. "Let's go to Hyrule Field where we will fight."

Impa and the Black Knight left the castle grounds to go to the field. All the meanwhile, Link and Samus were carrying Zelda and Pit from the castle. Once they reached the field themselves, they headed toward the west of Hyrule, towards the desert. Just as they were about to enter the desert, a lone figure appeared before them. The young lady with the long green hair had been watching the duo for a while.

"Excuse me," she spoke. "Is there something wrong with your companions?"

Link only smiled at the girl while Samus stood rather stoic. "They are fine," Link replied. "They're only tired. We've been traveling a lot. This is my sister and she's been exhausted all day. The boy in my wife's hand is our nephew." Samus looked at Link with a bizarre look on her face. _Wife? _she thought.

"Oh…I see," the girl replied. "Well…I'll leave you to it. Right now…I'm looking for someone. I've traveled all this way from Sacea in search for this one person. Can you help me?"

"We could try," Link said.

"Link! We don't have time for this!" Samus said. "We need to…go home! They might wake up soon and will be cranky about us not being home."

"Well…I'm sorry," Link replied. "But we're going to have to decline."

"Then perhaps you can tell me if you've at least seen him," the girl said. "There were two people. One was a man in full black armor and the other is was a young man with blue hair. The blue haired man had a blue attire with light armor. He had a strange thing around his neck with a jewel and a gold tiara on his head."

"Marth?" Link asked.

"You know him? Where is he?!"

"Um…well…he's…"

"Tell me! He's responsible for what he's done to me! Him and that black armored knight!"

_Crap! _Link thought. _She probably wants to kill Marth. _Samus kicked Link in the shin, signaling that she told him "good going, moron". Link cleared his throat as he tried to think of an excuse. "Oh!" he said. "I don't think I ever seen a man with black armor. However, the haired man you're talking about is probably someone totally different than the man I was talking about. Marth never leaves home…ever. He's an elderly man who's most likely sitting by the porch on his favorite chair."

"You're not going to fool me!" the girl replied as she took out her sword from her sheath. "You are hiding something and I want to know what it is! He's here and you work for him. And since you work for him, I'm going to defeat you. Then I'm going to hurt you until you give me the answers I need!"

"Damn it!" Link hissed.

"I told you to shut up!" Samus shouted. "Looks like we have no choice now." Samus dropped Pit on the ground as Link dropped Zelda on the ground. Both warriors took out their weapons as the young green haired girl readied her weapon.

"Prepare yourself!" She shouted as she dashed over to the pair. _She's fast! _Link thought as he barely missed her blade by a mere inch. He knew that this woman was a skilled fighter, maybe even a skilled assassin. Samus charged up her gun and began to shoot at the young girl. However, the young woman dodged her shots and slashed at her weapon. Samus' gun began to sparkle in her hand.

"Crap!" Samus shouted as she switched her weapon from gun mode to whip mode. _I can't use my gun feature anymore, _she thought. _Looks, like I have to go full melee on her then. _Samus dashed madly over to the green haired woman and began to whip her. The girl moved her sword, which in turn, Samus' whip tangled with the blade. With a sharp tug, Samus pulled the sword away from the girl and tossed it on the ground. Samus kicked the girl on her shoulder then kicked her on her stomach. She then whipped the girl's left arm.

The girl just smirked as she kicked Samus on her side. The other kick managed to hit Samus right on her wound on her leg. Then she punched the bounty hunter's side. As soon as the girl moved away from Samus and ran towards her blade, Link shot an arrow at her. The arrow pierced the girl's right thigh. The girl let out a yell as she tried to pull the arrow away. However another arrow caught her attention. It missed her head by a couple of inches.

Link ran over to her with his sword in hand and began to slash at her. The girl extended her hands and caught his blade with her gloved hands. The blade managed to cut a bit of her glove and part of her skin. She used her strength to pull the sword away from Link then kicked him right on his face. She ran over to where her sword was and picked it up. Link and Samus recovered from their hits and held their weapons in front of the girl's face.

"Move and I will kill you!" Samus shouted.

"You really brought it down on yourself," Link replied. "Your battle was not with us, but rather with Marth. You'll only cause trouble for us if you follow us."

"Din's Fire!" came a voice from behind them. Link and Samus jumped out of the way of an upcoming fire ball at them. Zelda, who was now fully awake and on her feet along with a fully awake Pit who had his bow and arrow ready were glaring at both Link and Samus. "Leave that girl alone!" Zelda shouted as magical sparks appeared from her hands. "Or you'll have to answer to me!"

"Yeah!" Pit agreed. "Pit will hurt you too!"

Link let out a sigh as he smiled at Zelda. "You've grown," Link said as he placed his sword in its sheath. "Samus, let's go home. We failed this one again."

"Are you serious?!" Samus shouted. "Do you know what Ganondorf will do to us if we…"

Link placed a hand on Samus lips. "I know," he said. "Let me handle that. Besides…right now, the way we are and the way they are…we won't stand a chance. We should retreat for now. Besides…" Link whispered in Samus' ear. "We still have another plan to work on."

"…Fine!" Samus agreed. Link bowed to Zelda before him and Samus left the field and headed off towards the desert. Once they were gone, Zelda looked over at the green haired woman.

"Are you alright?" Zelda asked.

"I'm fine," the girl replied. "I thought you two were related."

"We're not. He is…someone I used to know. Either way, thank you for helping us. We were kidnapped by them and if haven't appeared we would have been taken to their hideout."

"You were kidnapped?" the girl asked. "Then perhaps it is fortunate that I did appear. Thank Mother Earth and Father Sky for this."

"Thank you, kind lady!" Pit replied as he hugged the green haired girl. "What's your name?"

"Oh? My name is Lyn," Lyn said. "I am from the Lorca Tribe of Sacea. Or…at least was. I will tell you the details later. Right now…I suppose I should help you get back home."

"Hyrule Castle isn't far," Zelda said. "If you come with us, I'll be more than happy to give you a place to stay for the night as well as food."

"That would be most humble of you."

Elsewhere out in the plains, Impa and the Black Knight were isolated from everything else. Impa pointed her kodachi at the Black Knight. Her eyes were glued onto his figure. "You have caused quite a lot of trouble," Impa said. "I heard about you…Black Knight. You are from Daein, are you not? Or at least worked for Daein. You are one of Daein's Four Riders."

"I see…" the Black Knight replied. "So you do know quite a good amount about us."

"What gets to me though…is why you are not in Daein. What are you doing in Hyrule? It can't be because Ike's here."

"No…that's far from it. I came here for a special item. I came here for Angelus Crystals."

"Angelus Crystals?"

"Yes…they are a great source of power which are needed for Daein's army. Daein will soon go to war and with the power of the Angelus Crystals, we will be unstoppable. Right now…Link and Samus should be in the Gerudo Fortress. That little angel will soon be get to feel what's it like to be a crystal."

"Not if I can help it! As soon as I'm done with you…I'll go save Zelda and Pit!"

Impa and the Black Knight fought against each other in a gruesome battle. Impa would often teleport in front and behind the Black Knight and attack furiously. The Black Knight would land a blow each time he got a chance to. One slash in particular managed to cut Impa's side. Blood fell to the ground, but that didn't stop Impa from jumping over the Black Knight, delivered a swift kick, twisted her body around and stabbed into the Black Knight's armor. Her kodachi pierced through and managed to hit pure flesh. The Black Knight groaned in pain.

Both warriors were at a standstill. Both were now tired and bleeding from their wounds. Impa just growled a bit as she got up from the ground and rushed over to the knight once more. "Kaiten Giri!" She shouted as Impa charged up her sword, twirled in the air and slashed at the knight. The power of the slash was enough to cut through the Black Knight's armor. A huge line now was forged on not only the armor but across his chest. The Black Knight groaned in pain. Impa huffed a bit as she felt quite tired.

"Had enough?!" Impa scoffed as she huffed heavily. "There is more where that came from! You maybe covered in all that armor, but you will never be able to defeat experience! I can take you down with ease!"

"You cocky thing…" The Black Knight hissed. However before he could finish his sentence, a dark aura wave appeared behind him. A woman with dark, scaly skin walked through the dark aura. Her hair was not actual hair but rather snakes. Each of them moved with ease. Her eyes were a pale color. Her dark colored toga was long and flowed like dark water.

"What is taking you so long?" hissed the woman.

"I was merely handling the situation at hand, Medusa," the Black Knight replied.

"It doesn't matter!" Medusa hissed along with her snakes. "Ganondorf wants to talk to you. Apparently you and the two idiots failed to bring the princess and the angel."

"They what?"

"It doesn't matter…they will be taken care of as soon as possible. You will too. As for this woman…I'll take care of her. It seems I'm the only one who can do anything productive here!"

Medusa walked over to Impa. She lifted the elderly Sheikah's face over to hers just to get her to look into her eyes. "Heh…to stone with you," Medusa hissed as she blinked once. A strange aura of light appeared from her eyes which managed to hit Impa. Within moments, Impa was frozen in stone. "Let's go now! She is of no use to use."

Medusa created another portal of darkness. Both her and the Black Knight walked into the portal and disappeared into thin air. Impa, who was now lifeless, was left stranded in stone, unable to move or do anything anymore.

_End of chapter!_

_Chapter Eight: Infiltration_

_- "I have to do something about this! I am going into Ganondorf's lair and solve this matter once and for all!"_


	8. Chapter 8: Infiltration

-1_Hey! I'm back with another chapter. Those that don't know who Medusa is, she's the main villain from Kid Icarus. I know her original form is basically a large eyeball with tentacles, but I decided to make her kinda like Vaati, as in, she can morph shape from being human to being a giant eye. I hope this clears up some answers._

**A Hero's Creed**

**Chapter Eight: Infiltration**

Ike awoke from the hit he had gotten. He rubbed the back of his neck. "Damn," he said, "that was a hard hit. Zelda?" Ike looked around and noticed that no one was in the castle. Sheik had been laying on the ground next to him. Ike shook his companion roughly. "Wake up, Sheik! We have to go save Zelda!" He shouted as he shook the Sheikah roughly. Sheik let out a moan as she slowly came to. Her first reaction to Ike was to somewhat slap him. "Ow!" Ike let out as he released his hold on Sheik.

"What happened?" Sheik asked as she looked around her. "Damn! They got away! Most of the guards here are dead! Where's Pit?"

"I don't know…" Ike said. "Last thing I remember was that the Black Knight was going to take him too. Something about Angel Crystals or something. From the sounds of it, Pit wasn't too please about it. He seemed scared."

"We have to go and find them! We have to save both Pit and the princess!" Sheik shouted as she got up from the ground. Ike got off from the ground as well. He looked at the ground and noticed that the sword the Black Knight handed to him was gone. Ike quickly rushed through the hallways and into his room. He found his Regal Sword, equipped it and ran out from the castle. Sheik trailed behind. Both were running heavily but stopped abruptly once they reached the castle gate.

Walking through the castle gate were Zelda, Pit, and a young woman they have never seen before. The two of them quickly approached the group. "Princess Zelda!" Ike shouted. "Are you alright? You're not hurt, are you?"

"No," Zelda replied. "I'm alright. I just…well…we were saved, thanks to Lyn here. She is quite a swordswoman."

"Lyn?" Ike responded.

"Yeah! That's my name!" Lyn replied. "So, you must be one of the guardians. The princess told me about you."

"Ike, Lyn has volunteered to join us." Zelda said. "She is looking for avengement and thinks that was have a common enemy with us. We must talk more in the castle where we might be safe. I just hope father is alright."

Sheik looked around. "Where's Auntie Impa?" Sheik asked.

"I don't know…I thought she was with you."

"No…we thought she went off to go get you."

"I have not seen Impa in quite a while…I hope she is alright."

"Ike," Sheik said as she turned her attention to Ike. "Take the princess to the castle. I'm going to go look for Auntie Impa. If my instincts are correct…she probably went off to fight that Black Knight character. She could need my help."

"Then I should go!" Ike said. "I think I should take care of this matter."

"No! You stay here! I'll be back as soon as I can!"

"Pit goes with you!" Pit replied.

"No! Pit stays here," Sheik responded. "Zelda needs as much protection as she can. I have to go get Impa. Stay here! I'll be back before sunset…I hope." Before anyone could protect, Sheik dropped a Deku Nut on the ground and disappeared. Once Sheik made up her mind, she was set on it. Sheik rushed through the town and out into the field. She didn't know where to look, but she had to search around the field for clues.

The blond Sheikah examined the ground and saw two pairs of footsteps. One of them were made from hefty armor and the other was from someone's feet. "They were here," she said. "They must be close by!" Sheik followed the trail through the tall grass. However, she stopped once she saw some sort of a stone in front of her. "What's this?" she asked herself.

She approached the stone and began to examine it. Just then, she froze when she noticed that the stone looked so much like Impa. Sheik traced the stone's face and noticed that every feature was exactly like her aunt's face. "Auntie…Impa?" she let out.

By evening, Sheik managed to move the stone figure, along with the help of Ike and Lyn to the castle courtyard. Zelda was left horrified by the image. Sheik was still rather baffled by it all. She only hoped that the stone in front of her wasn't really her aunt, but rather some sort of a statue someone did of her. But with Impa nowhere in sight and night approaching, hope was beginning to fade. Pit looked at the stature and poked at it.

"Pit's seen this before," he said. "Impa has been turned into stone."

"She really has…?" Sheik said.

"Yes!" Pit replied. "This is a curse! Pit knows who can do this…but Pit isn't sure if it really is her."

"Who?"

"Medusa…the ruler of the Underworld. Medusa is Palutena's arch nemesis…and sister. My goddess rules the Skyworld while Medusa ruled the Underworld. Since of the arrangement, Medusa has always been jealous of Palutena's position of power. She tried to conquer the Skyworld and the human world. But Pit stopped her. That's why Pit's the captain of all of Palutena's army."

"So…Medusa did this to Impa?" Zelda asked.

"Pit's not too sure…but Pit knows that Medusa has this kind of power. But if she really is here…Pit wonders why. Pit can cure this!"

"You can?" Sheik asked. "Please! Help Auntie Impa!"

"Pit will do that!" Pit took a hold of his bow and separated it into two pieces. He moved around the blades until a strange vial popped out from the inside of the sword's hilt. "This is serum. Pit's bow can produce the serum for petrifaction. Pit will fix this in a moment." Pit took a hold of one of his blades and smothered it with the serum. He struck the statue with the blade.

Soon, blood began to drop from the statue. The stone soon turned into flesh along with everything else. Impa began to stir as her entire body turned back to normal. She moved the blade from her body. "What happened?" She asked.

"Pit saved you!" Pit said. "Impa was petrified. Can you tell Pit who did this to you?"

"I am not certain," Impa replied. "But…I did catch a name. Me…dusa?"

"Pit was right! Medusa is here! Don't worry, Impa! Pit will protect you!"

"Angelus Crystals…what are those?" Impa asked.

"Pit is not too sure," Pit replied. "Pit heard about those from Palutena…but she never told Pit what they really were. All Pit knows is that they are bad. She was worried about what will happen to Pit if Pit got close to one…or…"

"Or?"

"…the Black Knight…he said that he wanted Pit for a crystal," Pit said. "Are Angelus Crystals…made from angels?"

"How can that be possible?" Ike replied. "Aren't angels…immortal?"

"Angels are immortal as long as they stay pure. When an angel does an impure act, they fall from the heavens, making them fallen angels. They feel nothing but eternal suffering. Even though angels are immortal, they can still feel pain. We can't die…but we can feel pain, like mortals. Once an angel becomes a fallen angel…they will never be able to fly properly. They lose all of their heavenly powers. However…they still do have the potential of their power hidden in their body."

"I wonder…what are Angelus Crystals…and what do they have to do with angels?" Ike asked.

"Either way…I'm glad you're alright, Auntie Impa," Sheik said as she hugged Impa.

"I'm glad too," Impa replied as she hugged Sheik back.

"Impa…" Zelda said. "I…I'm sorry for what has happened."

"Nonsense…you are important, Your Highness. It is my duty to give my life for you. If I had died, it wouldn't have been in vain."

"I know that, but I don't like that idea. Many Sheikahs have already died just to protect the royal family. I can't bare to see the last remaining Sheikahs die because of my blunders."

"Last…remaining Sheikahs?" Ike asked.

Sheik sighed. "You don't know. Sorry that I haven't told you about this," Sheik said. "But it is a difficult thing to bring up. A long time ago, the Sheikah village, Kakariko, was a thriving village where it was isolated from the world. Only Sheikahs were allowed to go in and out of the village. We were secluded from everyone else. One day, about more than a decade ago, a great war broke out in Hyrule. That great war caused a large dent on Hyrule. Many races were against each other.

"The Sheikahs would not want to get involved in such trifling matters, but eventually we did. Their leader, was a wise person who pledge the village's life to protect the royal family of Hyrule. Everyone in that village was wiped out in order to protect the Hylians of Hyrule and the royal family. Once the war had settled, peace came to Hyrule…but the damages done to Kakariko were great.

"Ike…do you remember the graveyard in Kakariko?"

"Yes," Ike replied. "I remember it."

"All of those graves…"

"Yeah?"

"They are all Sheikah graves…" Sheik said.

"All of them?" Ike asked. "That's a lot of graves."

"Every single one…were warriors that died in battle. There were far too many to bury that the Royal Family of Hyrule made a complete shrine with a giant headstone to commemorate all of the fallen Sheikah. All…two hundred of us. Auntie Impa and I are the only ones left. My parents…were killed in that battle. I was left all alone. Auntie Impa was the only one who took me in when no one else would. I was just a little girl."

"Sheik…I never thought of that," Ike said.

"I know…I shouldn't be telling you this. It's not important."

"No! It is! This is horrible! This one of the most horrible stories I ever heard! Your entire race was wiped out because of war."

"Auntie Impa even lost…"

"Lost what?"

Zelda cringed as she tried not to remember what happened.

"I lost my husband and child," Impa replied. "I lost them as well as my entire tribe. I…was their leader and I was the one who made that pledge to protect the royal family. Now you know why I dedicate my life into protecting the princess…it is all I have left now along with Sheik."

Zelda looked at the sky. She was tired of being helpless and was tired of having Impa and Sheik suffered. She could tell that Sheik was trying not to cry at the moment. Impa was all she had left and if she died…Sheik will be all alone. And Sheik died…that would be the end of the Sheikan race forever. She had almost lost her nanny and the one person who had stuck by her and believed in her all these years. She had to do something about it and something quick. "Ike," Zelda said, "may I see you for a moment?"

"Sure thing, princess," Ike responded.

"Pit…can you come too?"

"Yes," Pit replied.

"Lyn?"

"Alright!" Lyn replied.

Zelda led the two men and woman away from Impa and Sheik. Once they were off into the hallways, Zelda stopped. "We had to leave," Zelda said. "We had to give them a moment. As you can see…the great war has really crushed them."

"That is quite sad…" Lyn said. "Its almost the same for me. My entire Lorca Tribe was destroyed…I am the last of the Lorca."

"Your tribe…was destroyed?"

"Yes…about two years ago, my tribe was attacked by a man in black armor and a man with man in blue. Both possessed a large amount of strength. The man in blue was the one who scared me the most. He had wings on his back…but there weren't like Pit's wings. They were different. They didn't look natural at all. Around his neck, a crystal glowed brightly.

"Within moments of their attack…my entire tribe was taken down. I tried to get as many people as I can to pull their attack together…but no one would listen to a woman. They only regarded me as a burden. That is why I left my home once I was left alone. That is why…I came here. I came here to avenge my fallen people! I have to kill them."

"You can help us fight them," Ike said. "However…I need to talk to the Black Knight. Apparently he knows something about my father. We have yet to see a young man with blue hair with your description."

"He's most likely hiding in Ganondorf's lair," Zelda said. "We have to find out what they are doing. We have to be ready for them."

"Don't worry, Princess Zelda," Ike said. "I'll be ready to protect you this time!"

"Thank you, Ike," Zelda replied. "Pit…Lyn…can you meet me by the courtyard in a little bit? I need to talk to Ike alone."

Lyn and Pit excused themselves to leave Ike and Zelda alone. Zelda searched her dress and pulled out a tiny ocarina from her hand. It was a dark blue ocarina with the Triforce symbol on it. "Ike," she said. "I want you to keep this as a memento of your time here in Hyrule. In case you decide to leave…I want you to have this. This is the Hyrule Royal Family's greatest treasure and I want you to take care of it."

"Princess…I can't have this," Ike said.

"You have to. That way…you can…give it back to me one day."

"No…you don't understand. I can't accept it….because I'm not leaving. I am going to stay here until this Ganondorf matter is resolved."

"Then…we should try to do this as soon as possible. Think you can come up with a plan? Tomorrow I'll think of something, that way we can stop Ganondorf at all cost!"

"Alright! I'll do my best then!"

"Anyway," Zelda said. "I should head off now. I'll inform the others about this."

"Sounds good," Ike replied. "I'll be waiting for you."

Zelda left the hallways and ended up in the courtyard. By then, Impa had left the courtyard to assure that king's safety. Sheik, Pit, and Lyn were left to talk to each other. Once Zelda arrived, everyone got quiet. "I have a plan," Zelda said. "But Ike should not be involved and neither should Impa."

"What are you getting at?" Sheik asked.

"Sheik…I'm going to have to go as you and you are going to go as me for a while."

"Princess…what do you plan to do?"

"I plan to go as you and infiltrate Ganondorf's fortress."

"Isn't it safer for Sheik to go instead of you?" Lyn asked.

"It might be safer for me…but not for her," Zelda said. "I have to do something about this! I am going into Ganondorf's lair and solve this matter once and for all! Sheik…you're the last one to carry out the Sheikah bloodline. If you die, you will be gone forever."

"If you die," Sheik said, "there goes the end of the Hyrule Royal Family. You shouldn't do anything so brash!"

"I have made up my mind," Zelda said. "I will go as you and you will stay here and pose as me. But I won't be alone. Pit and Lyn are going to come with me."

"I don't like this," Sheik said, "but what can I say?" Sheik used magic to transform into Zelda. Her magic wasn't as good as Zelda's so her eyes were still a light ruby shade. Her skin was slightly tan. Zelda smiled as she used magic to transform into Sheik. However, the biggest difference with her power is that Zelda's Sheik transformation completely changed her from being a female to being a male.

"Don't worry about me," Sheik-Zelda spoke in a deep voice. "I'll be back as soon as I can!"

"You best be careful," Zelda-Sheik replied in a soft voice. "I wouldn't want to stay a princess for long. Either way, you still have Ike baffled about your disguise. He still does not know that it was you who got him out from the dungeons."

"I know…and let's keep it this way. Lyn! Pit! Let's go!"

Lyn and Pit agreed as they followed Sheik-Zelda from the rooftops of the castle and disappear into the distance.

Meanwhile back in Ganondorf's lair. Link and Samus were thrown into their rooms. Both bloodied and bruised from their explanation to Ganondorf. Link slowly but surely got up from the ground. He took a hold of Samus and sat her right up against the wall. "That bastard," Link said, "once this mission is over, I'm going to kill him for what he's done."

At that moment, Marth came in. In his hands, he carried bandages and other medical things. He placed them on the ground near them then left the room. Samus looked at the medical objects and began to fix herself up. "We should have left earlier," she said. "Why did you stop?"

"I thought she needed help…" Link said. "Now I feel bad for Marth. He can't do anything of his own free will…all because of that blasted gem."

"What can you do about it?" Samus asked. "I will not blow my cover just because you decide to go noble. I have to make sure I find out what are Ganondorf's true intentions before I blow this joint."

"I know…we both can't blow our covers, but what choice do we have? Things have been getting out of hand now. I don't know if I can take much more of this torture."

"If you didn't want to risk getting hurt, you shouldn't have come."

"I'm talking about you. I can't stand it when he hits women around. I know the Gerudo don't mind…but its horrible. I dislike it when he hurts you the most. I can take this pain…but I can't bare to see anyone who's close to me hurt. That's why I'm hesitant to bring Zelda here. But if I don't do it…he'll send in Marth and he will kill everyone if Ganondorf orders it.

"The sad thing is…I don't think Marth can do anything about what's happening to him. I can't let Marth be hurt too! That's why I have to bring Zelda here. And once I do, I'll fight Ganondorf, take her back to Hyrule, and liberate the prisoners here. I know those angels are fallen angels, but they have feelings too! Some of the angels they kept here aren't even fallen. Those poor angels shouldn't be…"

"Link…" Samus said. "I know you want to liberate the angels as much as I do…but we have to find out exactly how they are making those crystals. We have to first think of the mission…not our feelings."

"Yeah…I just hope we're not too late," Link added in as he began to mend his wounds. "Ganondorf is getting impatient. Time is running out…we have to resort to our last plan."

"How are you going to convince the Black Knight to join on us?" Samus asked. "He thinks we're pathetic."

"Easy…he wants Greil, right? Then we'll give him Greil."

"Greil? That man is back in Crimea! There is no way we can leave and come back so soon!"

"No! But we can offer him his son. Ike is the only thing that is key to our plan. If we offer him Ike then he will have to listen to us."

"How will he? You convinced him that he's better off as live bait then dead!"

"I know my way around. Now come on! Let's go find that Black Knight."

Outside of the Gerudo Fortress, Sheik-Zelda, Pit, and Lyn were examining the area. "So this is the fortress," Sheik-Zelda said. "Looks totally different from what I imagined."

"I don't care!" Lyn replied. "My blade will quench its trust for vengeance with the blood of my enemies."

"Pit wants to know about the Angelus Crystals," Pit said. "Pit needs to know if Medusa's behind this!"

The three of them nodded to each other as they ran into the fortress. Sheik-Zelda snuck around through the darkness, while Pit flew from above, hiding from place to place. It was a good thing that it was evening. Lyn ran over to a nearby Gerudo and knocked her unconscious with the hilt of her blade. "Be glad I'm merciful to you at the moment," Lyn said as she continued to sneak through the fortress. Once the team was inside, they had to assemble together. Pit was on the roof, Sheik was on the second floor, and Lyn was at the bottom floor.

Sheik-Zelda walked through the hallways, carefully not trying to get caught by anyone. As soon as she reached one of the cells, she noticed a strange creature was held captive. He was azure with ruby colored eyes. Upon his black paws were spikes. His long rabbit like ears perked up as he looked at Sheik-Zelda. "You are not one of them," he said in a hushed tone.

"No…are you a prisoner?" Sheik-Zelda asked.

"Yes…I've been trapped here for ages."

"I'll get you out! What's your name?"

"I simply go by my monster name: Lucario."

"Lucario?" Sheik-Zelda said as he searched through his sack to find a lock pick. "Don't worry, I'll get you out."

Lucario looked over and saw an unwanted figure. He growled. "Look behind you!"

Sheik-Zelda back flipped just in time to see Link hovering over him. Sheik-Zelda glared as she saw her old friend.

"Sheik…" Link said. "Or should I say…Zelda? You know you can't fool me. I know when its you."

"What do you want, traitor?" Sheik-Zelda asked in a dark tone.

"'Traitor', huh?" Link said. "Is that what you see me as?"

"I have no reason why not to think that."

"That's hurtful, Zelda…very. But that doesn't matter…because you're coming with me now."

_End of chapter! By the way, those that are confused, Sheik-Zelda is Zelda when she's Sheik, and Zelda-Sheik is Sheik when she's Zelda._

_Chapter Nine: Heartbreak_

_- "I'm sorry Ike…but…I can't see you anymore."_


	9. Chapter 9: Heartbreak

-1_Hey! I'm back with another chapter. _

**A Hero's Creed**

**Chapter Nine: Heartbreak **

Lyn walked in through the ground entrance. She looked around and noticed the jail cells. In one of the cells she found a young man. His dark eyes showed cold redemption in them. Lyn noticed that he had dark green angel wings. However, his angel wings were different. They looked like they were attacked to his back, but were transparent as if they really weren't there. "Hey you," the young man spoke. "You're not a Gerudo. Who are you and what are you doing here?"

"I'm Lyn," Lyn said. "I came here to find an young man with blue hair and a golden tiara and gem around his neck."

"You're talking about General Marth."

"General Marth?"

"General Marth is a fierce warrior. He's not like any person I've seen before. When I saw him, I thought he was a Fallen…but I was wrong. He isn't a Fallen or an angel. He's merely a mortal with an Angelus Crystal. I don't know which angel he slew to get a hold of it, but it sure grants him infinite power. He's strong and he will tear you apart if you plan to fight him."

"I don't care," Lyn said. "I have to avenge my tribe! What's your name? I'll get you out!"

"My name is Rath," replied the green haired man. "Look out, Lyn!"

Upon that warning, Lyn turned around to face a Gerudo. The Gerudo warrior smirked from beneath her face mask as she saw Lyn before her. Her attire consisted of a white tube top with a pair of puffy white pants. "Heh," she let out. "I have to admit, you have guts to come to this fortress. If you want,

you can join our group."

"Join with a bunch of murdering bandits?" Lyn shouted. "I will never do that! I rather die than join you."

"That can be arranged!" The Gerudo warrior, took out two long blades from her back. She prepared herself to fight Lyn. Lyn took out the Mani Katti from its sheath and rushed at the Gerudo. Lyn attacked the Gerudo and matched her fighting blow per blow. She was fast, but Lyn was faster. Lyn slashed right at the Gerudo's chest area. The Gerudo warrior took one look at it then in a made rage, rushed over to Lyn and attacked her fiercely.

Pit had been busy searching the roof area. He saw a small entrance in which he could squeeze to. The young angel slid through the small entrance. As soon as he was able to move around the room, he looked down and noticed something rather shocking. On the bottom ground were a group of angels lined up in a row. Some of them were older looking while some of them were children, much around his age. "What's going on?" Pit asked softly, as to not have anyone hear him.

Just then the bottom door opened. Walking in was a dark looking man with an evil smirk on his face. Ganondorf inspected all the angels before him. Hoping to find one that would be of good use to him. "This one doesn't seem worthy," he said. "This one looks pathetic. None of these are suitable for my new Angelus Crystal."

"Picky as usual," came a cackling woman voice.

_That voice, _Pit thought. _It can't be…_

Just then, Medusa walked in. Her snakes began to hiss as she approached the king of evil. The dark goddess smirked as she fixed her dark colored toga. "I have brought you many angels," Medusa said. "These are a combination of fallen and lost angels. They were most unfortunate for falling into the Underworld. Are you telling me that none of these are good enough for your Angelus Crystal?"

"No!" Ganondorf shouted. "None of these have sufficient power to power up my dark blade. I want the power of a pure angel! The purer the angel, the stronger the crystal will be."

"I know that! I'm the one that told you that. However, not even the children angels are strong enough?"

"Not only does purity count, but also the physical strength of the angel. If we can find a pure hearted and strong angel, it will make the perfect crystal. None of these are good enough and the amount of angels to make a Grand Angelus Crystal will have to be double this number."

"Then why don't we?" Medusa asked.

"I made a deal with that Black Knight," Ganondorf replied. "He will want a good amount of Angelus Crystals. If I am to make a deal with the king of Daein, I will need to power up his army. The Black Knight provides me loyalty, protection, and treaties from the king of Daein. As long as we keep this mutual agreement, we will be at a peace."

"I don't see why you can't just make a Grand Angelus Crystal, conquer Daein and its neighboring kingdoms and call it a day."

"Because my dear Medusa," Ganondorf replied. "You are not seeing the bigger picture. If I stay on good terms with the king of Daein, I keep their trust and they will never suspect anything from me. Either way…who's to say that you won't betray me?"

"The reason for that, my dear king," Medusa said, "you are protected from my gaze. The Angelus Crystal you have with you prevents you from my stone gaze. As long as you never take it off, I'm powerless. Either way, I wouldn't betray you. I have much to gain from you. When you get the Triforce, you will use its power to enforce a new law into the mortal world. You will be king of Hyrule, King Ashnard will be king of all Tellius, and I…I will be rule the Skyworld and become the goddess of not only the Skyworld, but of Courage, Wisdom, and Power! I will be the absolute goddess of all!"

"The only way we can accomplish that," Ganondorf added in, "is to get the Triforce of Wisdom from Princess Zelda. I already have the Triforce of Power and as for the Triforce of Courage…Link's usefulness has come to an end. Once I have the princess in my grasps, I'll kill Link and take the Triforce from him. Once that is done, I will use the princess as a vessel for our next plan."

"Yes…the vessel…for my new body!"

Pit let out a small gasp. _Make Zelda a vessel for Medusa's new body? _he thought. _This is bad! Pit has to protect Zelda. The princess is in far more danger than Pit ever expected. Pit has to warn Palutena about this. She will know what to do._ Pit knew that at the moment, it was wise for him to leave before he was caught by the two villains on the ground. He wanted to save the angels, but he knew that he couldn't do so right at the moment.

The brunette angel began to slide over to the entrance from where he came from. As he placed his foot on the edge of the window, his foot slipped. Parts of the sill fell down from their position to the ground. The small rocks, caught Medusa's attention. She looked up to see nothing. Pit had managed to get out of the window and onto the roof before Medusa caught him. He let out a sigh of relief.

"Pit better go out and look for Zelda and Lyn," said the tiny angel. "Before something bad happens to them." Pit glided down to the next floor below him. He carefully maneuvered around the area, trying his best not to get caught by the guards that were on the second floor. Once he managed to sneak inside, Pit took out his bow and arrow and shot down the Gerudo women that were in his way. A loud sound caught his attention.

The young angel rushed over to the next corridor to find Sheik-Zelda and Link near a jail cell. Sheik-Zelda kept his gaze on Link. He was not too happy. Everything that Zelda felt, he felt ten times over. The anger and hurt that Zelda felt only fueled his newfound hatred for the ex-hero of Hyrule. "You betrayed us," Sheik-Zelda said, "we trusted you. I trusted you with all my heart."

"I know you did," Link replied. "And I appreciate that you did. It makes me feel happy."

"My prophecies…they betrayed me. I dreamt that you were a noble green light that liberated Hyrule…now…I just see you as a ray that leads me to darkness. You are scum! You broke our promise! You broke the promise you made to Princess Zelda a long time ago. You promised that you would be loyal to her and never let her fall into darkness!"

"Scum? Broken promise? Look who's talking! I didn't break my promise…you did! You replaced me with that blue haired freak!"

"Don't you dare talk about Ike that way!" Sheik-Zelda shouted. "You don't know him the way I do! He at least is decent and has a heart! I know that if anyone were to liberate Hyrule from all this mess, it will be him! I trust him."

"Then…where is your blue knight in shining armor? I don't see him with you."

"I came here by myself…of my own free will."

"That's very noble of you…and stupid! You wouldn't have came here alone!" Link shouted. "You know you can't protect yourself against all of us."

"Don't you dare underestimate me!" Sheik-Zelda shouted. "You always underestimated me in my abilities! Now I will show you how much I've grown!"

"As much as I don't like fighting you, Your Highness…I guess I'll have no choice."

Link took out the Master Sword from its sheath and prepared himself to fight Zelda. Sheik-Zelda ran over to Link and began to attack him with a fury of punches and kicks. Link managed to kick the princess off from him. Link reached into his pocket and pulled out a boomerang. He threw it with enormous strength at Sheik-Zelda, knocking him against the wall.

Sheik-Zelda got up from the ground and threw a dagger at Link. Link managed to dodge the first dagger, but the upcoming daggers, were hard for him to avoid. One dagger, in particular, managed to pierce his right shoulder. Link let out a yell as he pulled the dagger from his shoulder and threw it on the ground. Blood fell from his shoulders, staining his green tunic. He ran over to Sheik, leapt into the air and slashed at Sheik-Zelda.

Back in Castle Hyrule, Zelda-Sheik had been fidgeting around with her fingers. She tried her best to avoid seeing Ike or Impa all day, which she knew was impossible, but she had to try. She knew once Impa suspected something from her, she was going to see through her disguise. As for Ike, she knew that once he found out what the princess and she can do, it will certain make the blue haired mercenary do something rash.

"What am I going to do?" Zelda-Sheik asked herself. "I can't let Ike see me like this…"

"See you like what?" Ike asked.

"Ah! Ike! G-good evening, Ike!" Zelda-Sheik replied as she bowed at the mercenary.

"I have not seen you all day," Ike replied. "I missed you."

"Ah! Well, I have been busy all day. My father needed to talk to me in regards of the past events that have happened in the castle." _Which is something I never want to do again, _Zelda-Sheik thought.

"Yeah…I know what you mean. What is odd about today is that I can't find Sheik, Pit, or Lyn at all after your meeting with them. What happened to them?"

"Oh…they went off to do some errands for me. They will be back hopefully by tomorrow afternoon…or evening. I just hope they do hurry."

"Oh…okay. It feels very weird without Sheik around to tell me anything. Kinda quiet without her."

"Don't worry…he'll be back."

"What? Did you just say 'he'?"

"Eh? Oh! I'm sorry about that. I guess it must have slipped my tongue. I'm sorry…I must be very tired."

"I see," Ike smiled at Zelda. "You should go ahead and sleep then." Ike leaned over to Zelda-Sheik. His forehead was now on hers. Zelda-Sheik blushed madly as the mercenary was now so close to her. _What have these two been doing? _she thought. Ike leaned in for a kiss, however, Zelda-Sheik managed to maneuver out of the way. Ike leaned over too much, that he lost balance and fell on the ground. He slowly got up and looked over at the princess. "Um…is something wrong?"

"No!" Zelda-Sheik replied. "I just…well…like to tease you."

"Tease me?"

"Yeah."

Ike looked at Zelda with a confused look. As he looked deeply into Zelda-Sheik's eyes, he noticed that they were not the light hue of blue but rather a ruby color, much like Sheik's. An idea struck Ike at the moment. "Okay…" Ike said, "I'll let you go off to bed. Just do me one favor."

"What is it?"

"Kiss me…"

"Kiss you?" Zelda-Sheik asked.

"You and I always kiss each other good night. Kiss me the way you always do."

"Oh…okay." Zelda-Sheik leaned over to Ike. She hesitantly placed her hands on his shoulders and moved over. Her lips were now mere inches from Ike's rough lips. Ike chuckled a bit before he crushed his strong lips against Zelda-Sheik's soft lips. Zelda-Sheik's ruby eyes widen as she was now kissing her best friend. _No! _she thought. _This is wrong! What if Pit comes back and sees me like this?! _ As a reaction, the blond Sheikah pushed Ike away and slapped him hard across the face.

"Hmm…" Ike said, "good hit there, Sheik."

"What did you call me?"

"You are Sheik…aren't you? You don't kiss like Zelda. If you are not Sheik…then who are you?"

Zelda-Sheik leaned against the wall as a suspecting blue haired man was now standing in front of her. Before she could do anything, Impa jumped from the roof of the castle and landed near Ike. She looked over at the blue mercenary. "Is there something wrong?" Impa asked.

"Something is wrong with Zelda," Ike said. "She seems totally different."

"Let me see…" Impa approached Zelda-Sheik. She lifted the young blond woman and looked deep into her eyes. Impa placed her hand on Zelda-Sheik's forehead. She chanted a strange incantation. Zelda-Sheik was covered in a bright light. Within moments, Sheik was out from her disguise and into her normal attire. Impa moved away from her niece and placed her hands on her hips. "Where is the princess?" she asked.

"I tried to stop her," Sheik said, "but she wouldn't let me go unless I did this. She didn't want you or Ike to find out what her plans were. She, Lyn, and Pit went to the Gerudo Fortress to infiltrate and find out what their plans are."

"You let them go?!"

"Damn! We have to go save her!" Ike shouted. "You can explain everything to me once we get there!"

Lyn had managed to move quickly from the upcoming blades from the Gerudo warrior. In one swift moment, the Sacean maiden ran past her assailant and slashed her back. Then Lyn managed to pierce her blade through the warrior's right arm. The Gerudo let out a yell of pain as she jerked away from the girl. The Gerudo moved away from Lyn. "You may have won this round," she said. "But know this…I'll get you next time. I know someone who will take care of you." And with that, the Gerudo woman ran off.

As the woman ran, she managed to drop the key to the jail cell. Lyn walked over to the small, steel key and picked it up. She walked over to the jail cell and showed the key to Rath. "Looks like we got what you need," Lyn said. "I'll let you out."

"You don't have to," Rath said. "You have no need to free me."

"Heh…a woman from the plains always keeps her promise!"

"Woman…from the plains?"

"Yeah. I'm from Sacea! I am Lyn of the Lorca tribe."

"Lorca? I heard of them…anyway, just get me out. You need to get out of here before anyone else comes."

Lyn nodded as she placed the key in the keyhole and opened the jail cell door. Rath pushed the door open and walked out. He looked around him and let to a soft, but barely visible smile on his face. "Freedom," he said softly. "It has been years since I've been freed."

"What are you?" Lyn asked.

"I am…or was, a human at one point in my life. I was a mercenary for hire and was hired by Ganondorf. However, I wasn't expecting to become an experiment. After this Angelus Crystal was lodged into my body, I became what you see now. Anyway, I shouldn't burden you with my problems. We must get out of here before…"

Rath stopped in mid sentence. His emerald colored eyes diluted as he saw the figure he wished not to see at the moment. Standing by the doorway was Marth. Marth stood expressionless. Lyn froze as she saw the blue haired man approach the pair. Each step he took was like an icy breath of doom flew through the air. In his hand was the Falchion, already drawn from its sheath.

He pointed his blade over to Lyn as he cocked his head. The gem around his neck emitted a strange light. Rath moved in between Lyn and Marth. His green wings were spread apart in a protective manner. "Lyn!" Rath said. "Listen…you need to get out of here. He wants to fight you…so I'm going to distract him."

"No way!" Lyn shouted. "He's mine! He murdered my tribe! He and the man in black armor are responsible for the near extinction of the Lorca tribe! I came all this way just to fight him and that is what I am going to do!"

"No! The way you are, you can't even scratch him! Lyn…as a fellow Sacean, you must leave!"

"Fellow…Sacean?"

"I am Rath of the Kutolah tribe! I ask of you…as a fellow Sacean…leave this place at once. If you wish to fight him, let me weaken him first. The gem around his neck is the same as mine. However…mine is not absolute…Lyn…if you have companions with you…you better go to them and escape now. Everyone will be alert of your presence!"

"Rath…" Lyn said.

"Leave now!"

"…I'll come back for you! I need to go save the princess! But know this…blue haired man…when you are done fighting…come and get me! I want to fight you."

Marth cocked his head over to the other side. It was like he somewhat understood what she said. Lyn glared at him once more before she left the jail cell area and headed up stairs. Rath turned his attention to Marth. He extended his hands out. On his right hand, green aura appeared. It took into the form of a bow and arrow. He placed the arrow on the bow string and pulled back. He shot an arrow at Marth.

Marth swung his Falchion and sliced the aura arrow in half. The blue haired prince took a knee. Blue aura emitted from his back. Long, blue wings appeared on his back. He fluttered off from the ground and hovered gracefully. He flew towards Rath and swung his blade at the green haired angel. Rath used the bow to block the sword from hitting him. Using his spar hand, Rath's green aura created a strange green sword. He pierced the blade right into Marth's right shoulder.

Marth's blue eyes only twitched as the blade dug itself deep into his body. Blood dripped on the ground from the blade. Marth slowly moved his hand to blade and gently wrapped his hand around it. He applied a lot of pressure on the blade. Blood started to leak from his hands. However, one last squeeze of the blade managed to shatter it into dozens of pieces. Marth cracked his neck before he placed his bloodied hand on Rath's chest. Light blue aura emitted from his bloodied hand.

Rath let out a groan of pain as he was blasted across the room. The blast managed to burn off part of his clothes as well as part of the skin on his chest. Rath hissed as he clutched his chest. Marth's expressionless face remained stoic as usual. He pulled his sword back then stabbed Rath right in his chest. Rath let out a yell of pain as he tried to get the sword out. No matter how much he tried to pull the sword out, Marth kept shoving it in. With one swift movement, Marth twisted the blade then pulled it out.

An arrow flew past Link's face. The light blue arrow barely missed the young Hylian's face and landed on the keyhole of Lucario's cell. Link turned around to see Pit standing by the doorway. He pulled out another arrow and aimed at Link. Through the light blue aura from his arrow, Link could tell that the angel didn't look to happy about the entire thing. "Leave Zelda alone!" Pit shouted as he shot another arrow at Link.

Link pulled his Hylian Shield to protect his face from the arrow. Sheik-Zelda took that opportunity to rush over to Link and deliver a swift kick to his side. She managed to knock the Hylian hero on the ground. Sheik-Zelda took out a dagger and placed the tip of the blade up against Link's neck. At that moment, Lyn rushed through. "I'm so glad I found you guys," Lyn said. "We've got to get out of here and draw that blue haired man out!"

"Marth?" Link asked. "You shouldn't fight Marth…he'll kill you the way you are!"

"Shut up!" Sheik-Zelda barked as he hit Link across the face. "Now…you're going to answer to me! Tell me what Ganondorf is up to!"

"Heh…you want to know…"

"Tell me!"

"Zelda…I can't. Not here…not right now."

"You better tell or else!"

"What's going on?" Samus shouted as she appeared. She took out her gun and pointed it at Sheik-Zelda. "Let him go or I'll blast your brains out!"

"Samus, don't!" Link shouted.

At that moment, Marth fluttered by into the room. He was covered in blood, but it was not his own. In his right hand was the bloodied Falchion. On his left hand was something that was sparkling. He opened his hand and showed the small green colored gem to Samus. Samus let out a gasp as she finally put the pieces together. "You killed an angel?" Samus said. "Which one? The Angelus Crystal is green…"

"Green?" Lyn asked. "You…you killed Rath! You cold hearted bastard!" Lyn took out her Mani Katti and ran over to Marth, she began to slash at the angel without mercy. Some of her attacks were blocked easily by Marth's sword, but quite a few managed to cut the prince. Once he parried her weapon, he kept his blue colored eyes on her green colored ones. Lyn's face was rough and full of hatred for Marth. However, out of the corner of Marth's eye, a single tear fell down from his dull eyes and rolled down his cheek.

Marth moved his mouth in a talking motion. He coughed and wheezed while he was trying to talk to Lyn. "I…" he hoarsely said, "I…I'm…so…so…sorry." Samus, Link, and Lyn were all shocked by his speech. Marth's hand shook furiously as he pushed Lyn off from him. He pointed his sword at Lyn. He raised his sword above his hand hesitantly.

At that moment, a dark aura ball managed to hit Marth. The blast pushed the blue haired warrior against the wall. Lucario walked out from the jail cell. His paws were glowing with the dark blue aura. "I've seen enough," spoke Lucario as he snarled. "I'm finally out from that place."

"Hey! Where are the intruders?" shouted one of the Gerudo.

"Someone alarm the Great Ganondorf!" shouted another.

"Looks like they're coming!" Pit shouted. "We have to get out of here!"

"No!" Sheik-Zelda shouted. "I have yet to learn anything!"

"Human!" Lucario shouted. "If you wish to die here, then I won't stop you, but I wish to get out now before I'm placed in that cell again. If you wish to live…grab onto me now!"

Pit quickly grabbed Lucario's right paw. Lyn looked at Marth. Rage still coursing through her body. Pit grabbed Lyn's hand and placed it on Lucario's left paw. Sheik-Zelda growled as he stared at Link. "We're not done!" Sheik-Zelda shouted.

"I think we are…" Link replied. "Run now…before its too late."

Sheik-Zelda grabbed onto Lucario's neck. Once everyone was settled, Lucario closed his eyes and concentrated his power. "Foresight!" Lucario shouted. His vision changed. He saw nothing but night vision. Everything around him froze. He ran as quickly as he could while carrying his three companions. In a split second, they were gone and out of the fortress. Link, Marth, and Samus were left in the jail cell room in confusion.

Ike had been sprinting all this time. He wasn't going to stop until he reached the fortress. The trio had finally reached the edge of Hyrule Field and ended up by the entrance of the Gerudo Desert. Impa stopped running. Sheik noticed that her superior had stopped, then she halted to a stop as well. Ike kept on running. When he noticed that he was running alone, he stopped and ran back to his partners. "Come on!" Ike shouted. "Why are stopping?"

"Ike," Impa said. "We need to think of a plan before we barge into the fortress. We need to be careful."

"We don't have time! What of something happened to Zelda?"

"I am worried about the princess too…but we can't just…"

"What she means is," Sheik said. "If we just barge in without thinking, we will be caught. Hence our rescue will be in vain. I know you care about Zelda…I'm worried about Pit. But we need to be smart about this."

"…Alright," Ike responded. "What's the plan?"

"Alright…what we need to do…" Impa said.

At that moment, a harsh wind blew. A light blue flash zipped past the three warriors who stood in front of the entrance of the Gerudo Desert. Sheik-Zelda saw Ike and the rest outside. He tugged on Lucario's dreadlock, signaling him to stop. Lucario took the hint and stopped immediately. Lucario's Foresight stopped as he closed his eyes then opened them again. Impa ran over to Sheik-Zelda and pulled her away from Lucario.

"Princess Zelda!" Impa shouted. "You should have told me what you were up to!"

"Impa…" Sheik-Zelda said as he closed his eyes. He was surrounded by a light. Once the light disappeared, Zelda emerged once more. "I couldn't tell you. You wouldn't allow me to do so!"

"Of course not! Not what you've tried to do! Zelda…its dangerous for you to run off like that."

"I'm sorry…I didn't want to be helpless!"

"Princess Zelda…" Ike spoke. "You had us all worried. How are we suppose to protect you if you run off like that?"

"Don't treat me like them!" Zelda shouted. "I thought you were different! But you…you only see me as a helpless princess!"

"Princess…"

Zelda looked away from Ike. "I knew you'd only treat me as nothing more than a political figure," Zelda said. "You didn't believe me in the beginning…and I know you wouldn't believe me in trying to get information out from the fortress. That's why I didn't tell you anything…I hate it when you treat me like that! Ike…you…you jerk!" Tears brimmed from Zelda's eyes and fell down her cheeks.

Ike closed his eyes as he let out a sigh. He leaned over to Zelda and wrapped his arms around her. Zelda tried to pull away from him, but she had stopped struggling. She cried into his chest as he caressed her hair. "I'm just glad that you're alright," Ike whispered softly.

Once Zelda had settled down, the entire group left the desert and headed over to the castle. Once they reached the castle, it was almost dawn. Ike carried Zelda over to her room and placed her on her bed. The princess had already been asleep in his arms. Ike took a hold of her hand and kissed it lightly before he left the room.

Zelda awoke late that morning. It was almost noon. She quickly got out of bed and dressed in one of her purple dresses. As she ran through the hallways, she was stopped by one of the guards. "Your Majesty," the guard spoke. "The king will like to see you. He asks for you to appear before him in the throne room."

"Alright," Zelda said as she bowed to the guard. "Thank you."

Zelda headed over to the throne room as quickly as she could. Once she reached the room, she was taking back by how dark the room was. The king was situated on the throne. A dark look was on his face as he extended his hand. "Come here, Zelda," spoke the king in a dark tone. "We need to talk about something."

"Alright," Zelda replied. "What is it?"

"Zelda…tell me…have you chosen a groom yet?"

"No…not yet. I have yet to find one that is good enough to benefit the kingdom."

"I see…tell me about this Ike then. Has he been protecting you well?"

"He has done a wonderful job," Zelda said. "He has extended his contract with us."

"How long?" Asked the king.

"Until Ganondorf is…brought to justice. Father…we have evidence of suspicious activity from his fortress!"

"Not this again…Zelda…don't be foolish! Listen to me…Zelda. How close are you to Ike?"

"He is…a great companion. He has been a wonderful friend to both me and Sheik."

"He is such a great companion…that he's even courting you, is that correct?"

Zelda's expression blanked out. Her blood rushed fast through her veins as her heart pounded fast. "F-father…?" she said. "That…I…I-I can explain."

"Is that why you haven't picked a suitor? Because you are infatuated with that…Human! A peasant Beorc of all creatures!"

"But Father we haven't…"

"Don't lie to me, Zelda! The guards have seen you two kissing! His dirty lips were upon your virgin ones which are suppose to be for your husband! I want that boy out from this castle! He is dismissed from his services!"

"Father, you can't! I need him! Ganondorf might…"

"Silence!" The king shouted. "You will dismiss that young man from my court! He is to return back to his country of Crimea and he is never to set foot in Hyrule once more! You are never to see him again, is that clear?!"

Zelda's lip quivered as her heart was now frozen in time.

"I have picked a suitor for you," the king spoke. "You are to meet him in his castle. You shall leave this evening. These foolish and ill thoughts of King Ganondorf will stop once and for all. Now…go tell Ike that he and you…are through. Tell him that you never loved him and that he should leave Hyrule immediately!"

"Y-yes….Father," Zelda whimpered a bit. The princess slowly walked out from the throne room. She shook lightly as she took each step. Once she was gone, the king let out a sigh. He looked into the darkness of the room.

"Are you satisfied yet?" the king asked. "I have done what you told me to do…call off your army from my townsfolk."

"We are almost done," came a male voice. Out from the shadows came the Black Knight. "We have to wait until Ike is out of Hyrule's town. After all…you don't want us fighting around all the innocent people, do you?"

"You're a monster, Link!" The king shouted. Link winced a bit as he appeared through the shadow.

"I'm just here for Princess Zelda," he said.

"We all trusted you!"

Link didn't reply to that. He turned his attention to the Black Knight. "Listen…you better wait outside of town," he said. "Ike will be going out soon. I'll be here and take the princess with me."

"Fine…but don't mess this one up! If you do…I'll kill you," The Black Knight said as he left the castle.

Zelda finally reached the courtyard. Her body shook lightly as she approached her favorite spot in the world. Ike, who was the only in the courtyard at the moment smiled at her. Upon seeing him smile, Zelda cringed. Ike noticed that the princess was uneasy. He got up from the ground and approached the princess. "Zelda…what's wrong?" Ike asked as he held the princess' hand. "Did something to wrong?"

"Ike…" Zelda said as she showed a stoic face to Ike. "We need to talk about your services."

"Alright."

Zelda's face at the moment was expressionless, which scared the blue haired mercenary. "Ike," Zelda said. "You have done well to protect me and your services to Castle Hyrule have been well exceeded that of Link's services. However…your services are no longer needed."

"No longer needed?"

"Your time here has expired. It is time for you to return home."

"But I can't leave you now! You're in danger!"

"I am fine," Zelda said. "We will have to come up with a truce with Ganondorf. Therefore, you don't have to worry."

"Don't have to worry?! Zelda…are you crazy? What about…?"

"Ike…don't you understand?" Zelda spat as she pulled her hands away from him. I'm sorry Ike…but…I can't see you anymore. I don't want you here! The affair between you and me…it was nothing more than a ruse! Did you honestly think that a Hylian and Beorc could ever coexist? My love…my heart…goes out to my people. I am of high nobility and I am to one day rule this land.

"I have accepted the marriage proposal from a prince in a neighboring kingdom. If peace can not be settled by treaties…then my groom shall handle this. My life…is dedicated to my people…I can't give it all away…because of you. I was tempted by the golden apple from the goddess of chaos…but not anymore."

"I always thought that…everyone could live together happily…" Ike responded. "But I guess…some people never learn. I thought you were different than most nobles…but I guess I was wrong about that too. I guess being a princess makes you as selfish as they can be. You…only wanting to gain what will benefit you…including fooling around with the hearts of people. But I guess because I'm just a peasant human…that I have no feelings."

Zelda turned away from Ike. She bit her lip, trying not to cry at the moment. "How dare you call me, selfish?" Zelda said. "Just get out! I never want to see you again!"

Ike looked at Zelda with dark eyes. He picked up the Regal Sword from the ground and placed it in the sheath. As he walked past Zelda, he stopped. He searched through his pockets and pulled out something. Without looking at her, he grabbed her hand and dropped the object into her hand. "I am not going to need that anymore," he said coldly before he walked out from the courtyard and left the castle's ground. Zelda slowly looked down at her hand.

Placed on her palm was the Ocarina of Time. Tears formed in her eyes as she felt like her whole world was breaking down. She hugged the ocarina as she shook lightly. Her heart was broken.

_End of chapter! _

_Chapter Ten: Decisions_

_- "If Zelda's in trouble…I won't do it! I will not save her this time!"_


	10. Chapter 10: Decisions

-1_Hey! I'm back with another chapter. _

**A Hero's Creed**

**Chapter Ten: Decisions**

Ike left the castle grounds. His eyes were filled with fury. With each step he took, his heart felt heavy. He wouldn't have cared much about what people thought of him…but when it was someone he knew and cared about, it was very heartbreaking. What really got to him was the fact that he thought she loved him or even cared a tiny bit about him. _She never cared about me, _he thought. _I guess it was all part of the services. Everything…was part of the service._

Before Ike left the Hyrule Castle Town Market, he purchased a view vitals that he would need on his trip back with the rupies he had in pocket. Just before he finished purchasing vitals, he noticed the bottles of Lon Lon Milk. Upon seeing the milk, he remembered Malon. _I have to at least say good bye to her, _he thought. Ike walked out from the town and towards the ranch.

Once he reached the ranch, he smiled a bit. He remembered the last time he came to Malon's ranch. It was about two weeks ago. The place was made on a large hill. The yellow house was built on the side of the hill. Across from the house was the stables where horses and cows resided. Outside, under the tree were a flock of chickens which ran around freely. Ike was quite tempted to take one with him the first time he came to the ranch, but had to restrain himself from doing so.

The blue haired mercenary entered the stable in hopes of finding Malon. Luckily for him, the red headed ranch girl was busy cleaning the stables. She turned around to see Ike. Malon smiled widely as she placed the pitchfork down. "Ike!" she let out. "Good to see you! I didn't know you were coming to visit! Its so nice of you to come!"

"Nice to see you too, Malon," Ike replied. "I actually came here to say something to you."

"Oh? What is it?"

"I came to say good bye to you."

"Good bye?" Malon repeated. Her smile slowly faded. "What do you mean?"

"I'm…leaving Hyrule now. I'm going home to Crimea."

"Wh-why? Why are you leaving?"

"I was only going to stay here for about a year. Now that my training is done, there is no need for me to stay here. I need to go home and report all this to my father. Besides…the princess does not require my services anymore."

"She fired you?" Malon asked in a shocking voice. "But…I thought the both of you were really good friends."

"I thought so too…" Ike replied as he looked away. Even though he was looking at the horse next to him, Malon knew that his mind was elsewhere."

"What happened? Did something go wrong?"

"Let's just say…I saw a side of Zelda I didn't think was possible. I guess one doesn't know someone until their true colors show. Anyway…Zelda's to marry some prince in a far off kingdom and he'll help her with her Ganondorf problems. Everyone was right…I have no business here. I'm not a native of this land nor do I have any Hylian blood in me. All my family is back home along with all my friends."

"That's…so sad…I didn't know any of this."

"It's alright…besides, I need to go home. If I am to take over my father's mercenary group one day, I have to go back home. Now I can finally do missions with him. I'm not a boy anymore!"

"Um…before you go," Malon said. "I have a gift for you. I was kinda hoping to give this to you on your birthday…but since you're leaving I guess I should give it to you anyway. Let me get it from the house! Wait here!"

Malon quickly ran out from the stables and into her house. She was careful not to step on the chickens that were inside of the house and dashed up the stairs into her bedroom. She searched through her end table and found a golden trinket. She quickly ran out from her house and back to the stables. She leaned over and let out a slight huff. She extended her hand to Ike and dropped the golden trinket into his hand. "I wanted you to have this," she said. "This is my lucky charm. I've had it ever since I was very little. It has always brought me a lot of luck. I want you to have it…as a symbol of luck for your future as the head of a mercenary group."

"Malon…" Ike said as he examined the small trinket. It had the face of a dragon on it and was very detailed. "You don't have to give me something."

"I wanted you to have it. Please take it…so you'll have something to remember me by."

Ike placed the golden trinket into his pocket and smiled as he pulled out a goddess icon. He gave it to the ranch girl. "I want you to have this. I found it on the way over here," Ike said. "It was the first thing I found when I left my home. It brought me some luck. This should be something you should have."

Malon took the small statue from Ike and smiled. "Will you come back one day?" she asked innocently.

Ike looked away from the red head. He didn't know what to tell her. Part of him wanted to come back to see his friends, but the other part of him wanted to avoid the object of his heartbreak. He let out a sigh before he smiled serenely at his companion. "I'll come back and visit at least you one day," he replied. "I'll be sure to one day come back and see you."

Malon giggled as she hugged Ike tightly. "I'm sorry…" she replied. "If she hurt your feelings."

"Don't apologize," he replied. "You did nothing wrong."

"If its any consolation prize, I really thought you two were cute together. I had never seen the princess smile…until you came. It wasn't often you got to see the princess laugh, even during the festivities. She hardly left the castle, and she hardly spoke with anyone. When I first saw you…you were so rough around the edges. Now…it seems like you're a bit softer. I thought you two really did help each other."

"I thought that too…" Ike walked towards the door of the stable. "Anyway, thanks for being my first friend when I arrived at Hyrule. You're a wonderful person."

"Thanks. I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you too. Take care of yourself….good bye, Malon."

"Good bye, Ike…and good luck."

Ike left the ranch and walked out to the southeast, where the road will lead him to Tellius. The blue haired mercenary looked at the sky and noticed that it was now the afternoon. "If I hurry, I'll reach the edge of the forest before night," he said to himself. "Which is good since I don't like walking through the Lost Woods. The Kokiri Forest is alright…even though those children are a bit rude."

"It seems heading to the forest is the last of your worries," spoke a deep voice.

Ike stopped in his tracks. He slowly turned around to face the Black Knight. The dark armored man had an enormous sword in hand. He chuckled deeply through his helmet as he pointed the blade at Ike. "You are very troublesome," he said in a deep voice. "You are going to see Greil…aren't you? Then I will come with you. If you defy me…I will kill you where you stand."

"I rather fight than take you to my father!" Ike shouted as he pulled out the Regal Sword. "I don't know what you want to with me…but I know it can't be good."

"Very well…if death is what you wish…then I shall bring it. I'll just take your head to your father as a gift."

The light afternoon sky began to darken. Ike looked at the sky as dark clouds were moving overhead. Tiny drops of water fell upon his heated skin as he gripped the hilt of his blade tightly. He glared at the Black Knight as he charged at full speed.

Through the entire afternoon, Zelda had been busy dressing herself into her bridal dress. The snowy white gown was puffy below her strapped waist. Her back was shown from her spaghetti strap dress. On her hands were long white gloves which reached beyond her elbows. She situated a silver tiara on her forehead which had the veil connected to it. She covered her face with the veil to hide not only her being a bride, but her sorrow.

Impa came into her room. The Sheikah nanny approached the princess and placed her hands on her bare shoulders. Upon doing so, Zelda turned her head over to Impa and began to cry. Impa caressed her head as she allowed the princess to cry on her shoulder. "There, there," Impa said. "You need to calm down. A beautiful bride should not be so sorrowful."

"I may be a beautiful bride…" Zelda whimpered, "but I will not be happy…"

"Zelda…I have known you ever since you were a baby. I've watched both you and Sheik grow up together. You are almost like a second child to me. I know this will be hard…but it is for your kingdom. I knew that you were in love with that young man…but…when you think about it…what would you have done?"

Zelda sniffed a bit. "For the sake of the kingdom…" Zelda said, "he was to remain as my guard…just…my guard. What upset me the most…is that I told him all those lies. I hurt his feelings because father wanted me to. Now…he hates me. I don't know what to do…he's never going to come back, is he? Because of me…" Tears began to reform in the princess' blue eyes. "I'd give anything just to apologize…to tell him that all of that was a ruse."

Before Impa could reply to that, a messenger approached the doorway. "I'm sorry," the messenger said. "The coach is waiting for the princess. I trust that you are ready."

"We'll be ready in a bit," Impa replied.

"Very well! The king would like to see you before you leave." The messenger left the women.

Impa hugged Zelda tightly one more time. "Don't cry," she said softly. Impa closed her eyes as she slowly hummed Zelda's lullaby to calm her down. The lullaby managed to stop the princess from crying as she slowly started to calm down. Once Zelda had stopped shaking, Impa pulled the princess away. "I know that you are a strong woman you can do anything. You have a choice…I know you'll make the right one."

"Thank you…Impa," Zelda replied.

"No problem…darling child."

Zelda hugged Impa once more before the two of them left Zelda's room and walked over to the castle gate. While Zelda had been preparing to leave, Sheik sat down on the ground of the courtyard in a furious manner. "This sucks!" she said. "First Ike leaves and now Zelda! What's going on?!"

"Zelda is leaving because she's to marry some guy," Lyn said. "As for Ike…I don't know. I saw him this morning. He was smiling and was off to see Zelda. After they spoke, I never saw him after that."

"Oh! I don't know why Zelda has to marry some prince! Why would Ike leave? Because Zelda's gone? Is that why?"

"Maybe…this is just me…maybe he was in love with her and couldn't bare the thought of having her leave so he decided to leave instead. Usually people of complete different races are forbidden romances. My parents had that. My father was a Sacean warrior…as for my mother…she was a Lycian noble."

"Wait!" Sheik said. "You're a noble?"

"You could say…I'm a princess…twice fold. I'm the daughter of the Lorca chieftain and the daughter of a duchess. Both are from completely different worlds. Mother was quite awkward living in the plains, but she adjusted. However…I can tell a lot of Saceans were uneasy about having a half breed like me lead…especially since I am a woman. Besides the point…I was just saying…perhaps Ike felt uneasy."

"That's not fair! Ike was definitely infatuated with Zelda and so it worked the other way as well. I don't see why they couldn't…Zelda was so happy! I've always been around Zelda. You could say we are like sisters. Never did I see her so bright and happy until Ike came into her life. I have to admit…I didn't think much of him…but now…I could tell he would do anything for her…even if money wasn't involved. Its not fair to take away her happiness from her! She deserves to be happy."

"What can you do?" Lucario asked. "Human laws prevent such happiness from coming to her. If its for the good of the nation, then she must abide by those rules. She is, after all, a princess and needs to think of her people first than anyone else."

"I…I know…but….its still unfair."

"Life is unfair," Lucario said. "Everyone has to deal with that fact no matter what. So what can you do except just grin and bare it."

Sheik remained quiet. Her anger was really rising up. She didn't want to explode in front of everyone, but it was getting really hard not to.

Pit looked up at the sky. He noticed that dark clouds were forming up ahead. "Looks like its going to rain," he said softly. "Pit should go with Princess Zelda. Pit has to make sure that she's okay."

"Yeah…" Sheik replied. "I think at least one of us has to go. I really want to go with her…just to make sure that she's okay."

"I am not too sure about that," Impa said as she walked into the courtyard. "For some strange reason, the guards told me not to follow Zelda to the carriage. I don't know why…"

"What do you think that is?" Sheik asked.

"I don't know…but I don't like it. Pit," Impa said as she looked at the tiny angel. "We need you to watch over the princess. You need to hover as high above as you can. Hide within the clouds so you can follow them without being detected."

"Pit understand," Pit replied as he took for the skies. "Something is wrong…"

"Sheik," Impa said, "I need you to stick to the carriage on the ground. If you can keep an eye on the princess…everything will be fine."

"Got it!" Sheik responded as she disappeared.

"As for us," Impa said as she turned her attention to Lyn and Lucario, "we're going to split up. I'm going off to Ganondorf's fortress. Something very suspicious is going on over there and I need to figure out what. Lucario…Lyn, I need both of you to look for Ike. I…we all need him."

"What if he doesn't want to come back?" Lyn asked.

"I'm sure you two can think of something. We need him back. Something tells me that the princess might be in danger and we'll need him."

"Gotcha! We'll search all over for him!" Lyn said. "Let's go, Lucario."

Lucario replied with a grunt before he took a hold of Lyn's waist and closed his eyes. Lucario used Foresight to slow down time tremendously and run on the roof and out of the castle grounds. During that time, Zelda had been walking down the dark hallways in her wedding gown. Zelda tried not to show any signs of emotion as she walked towards her destiny. "It was bound to happen," Zelda said to herself. "It was all bound to happen."

Just then, the princess saw the king standing by the castle gate. He walked over to the princess and hugged her tightly. "My dearest Zelda," he said in a soft tone. "…run away! It's a trap."

"What?" Zelda replied.

"Listen to me…once you get on the carriage…they are going to take you to Ganondorf's fortress. They told me to make you chase away Ike so that the Black Knight could kill him."

"No…" Zelda shuddered. "Ike…"

"Listen dearest, as soon as they are the edge of the Gerudo Desert, escape! I'm pretty sure your guardians will be there for you. Someone very spiteful is in that carriage right now…so be careful."

"I…understand….thank you, Father," Zelda replied as she hugged her father tightly. "Don't worry about me, Father. I can escape without any help."

Zelda and the king hugged once more before they released each other. Zelda walked down the hallway with a new look on her face. Outside, a small carriage had been waiting for her. The footman opened the carriage door and allowed the princess to climb in. Inside the carriage was a hooded figure in front of her. Once the door closed, Zelda glared at the hooded figure and started to strangle him when the carriage moved. The hooded figure managed to push Zelda off from him as he coughed violently.

"You monster!" Zelda shouted.

"Easy," Link replied as he took off his hood. "I'm here to help you."

"Save your breath! I won't listen to your lies anymore!"

"This isn't a lie! Everything I've done was for you! I left Hyrule so I can infiltrate Ganondorf's lair. I didn't tell you because I know you'd follow me."

"I…" Zelda stopped for a moment. He was right on the fact. If she knew, she would have wanted to follow him. "You should have told me something instead of keeping this to yourself for a year."

"I would have told you earlier if you let me take you to Ganondorf."

"Why?"

"Reason being…so he could trust me. He wasn't going to do anything to you for a while…so I would have had total access to the entire fortress. Then once I freed the angels and found out what he was truly up to, I would have rescued you and brought you back to the castle. Then I would have gone back and fought him. It took me months to get into the rank I'm in right now."

"I…I didn't know."

"Yeah…" Link replied. "That's what I was planning to do. I'm sorry I didn't tell you any sooner."

"You…you're not lying to me. You are being sincere."

"Of course, princess…I'd never lie to you. But you…replaced me…with him."

"Ike?" Zelda said.

"Yes…Ike. It seems that everyone replaced me with him. Sheik, Malon, Impa…even you. You replaced me with him…in both my job and your heart."

"That's not true! I'd never replace you. Link…I…"

"That's alright…" Link replied as he looked away. "I can see that he is important to you. I can tell that both of you are infatuated with the other. I guess I got replaced that way as well."

"Link…"

"Anyway…what do you plan to do, princess?" Link asked as he crossed his arm.

Zelda bit her lip. She had two options at the moment. She could be taken hostage by Link and brought to Ganondorf's lair. Or she could do what her father told her and run away as soon as she entered the edge of the desert. Either way, Link was the biggest obstacle in the whole equation. She didn't know if she should trust Link's word or not.

The princess looked out the window and noticed the heavy rain that was pouring down. The scenery around her was changing slightly. She was running out of time. The blond woman bit her lip slightly as she tried to think of a conclusion. From the corner of her blue eyes, she could see the edge of the desert. The carriage neared the desert every second that passed.

Zelda hand her hand on the handle of the carriage while Link had his hand behind his back. Zelda didn't doubt that it was on his sword handle. The carriage touched the edge of the desert and Zelda slowly placed her hand on her lap. "So…what do you want me to do?" Zelda asked softly while Link let out a soft smile.

Ike let out a grunt as he clutched his chest. He looked at his hand and saw the blood on his hands. Ike spat the blood from his mouth as he grasped the Regal Blade with both hands and shouted as he ran towards the Black Knight. The Black Knight chuckled lightly as he parried all of Ike's blows. The knight managed to slash at Ike's side, cutting him deeply. The blue haired mercenary shouted as he dropped to the ground.

Ike touched his side and groaned as he coughed out even more blood. The rain started to pour heavily on both warriors. The rain managed to wash away some of Ike's blood. However, Ike was still covered in blood and was now drenched in rainwater and mud. The Black Knight let out a sigh as he walked over to Ike. "You really aren't much of a challenge to me, boy," the Black Knight said as he raised his sword over his head. "Its such a pity that the son of Greil can't live up to his father's name. No matter…I'll be sure your father will get the message soon. After I'm through with you, I'll take care of your precious family. Starting with your dear sister."

Ike's eyes widen as he heard those words come from the Black Knight's mouth. In one swift movement, Ike moved the Regal Sword in front of him and blocked the Black Knight's attack. Ike used all of his might to stand up from the ground. He snarled through his teeth. "You…will NOT touch Mist!" Ike shouted as he started move forward. "I swear I will never let you do anything to them! They are my dearest friends and I rather die than let someone like you hurt them!"

"That can be arranged," the Black Knight said as he pulled his sword away. He moved his blade away from Ike. He smirked underneath his helmet as he stabbed Ike through his gut. Ike gasp as his body felt weak. Blood trailed down from the tip of the blade to the grass below. Ike glared at the Black Knight before he swung his sword at the knight. Upon the blade making contact against the black armor, the sword reverted from the armor and fell out of Ike's hand. The Black Knight kicked Ike from his sword. The blue haired mercenary fell on the ground as he looked up at the sky. His eyes were beginning to lose sight. He was beginning to lose all sense from his body. _I'm sorry…everyone, _he thought. _Father…Mist…Soren…_

As Ike was slowly closing his eyes, he heard a faint voice. He closed his eyes for a brief moment. A strange light appeared through his eyes. He saw the figure of a young woman with lovely violet locks of hair. Her soft violet colored eyes shined softly as she smiled sweetly at the mercenary. "Ike…" she said softly. "My…how you've grown. It amazes me how strong you are. Ike…be strong. Ike…Ike…"

"…Ike!" came another female voice.

Ike slowly opened his eyes. Ike was outside in the rain. Hovering above him was Lyn. The green haired maiden had tears falling down from her eyes. "Ike! You're alive!" Lyn shouted. "Oh! Thank Mother Earth and Father Sky! Lucario! He's alive!"

Lucario snarled as he avoided the Black Knight's attacks. He looked over at Lyn for a moment. "Lyn!" Lucario shouted. "Pick up Ike and let's go! We can't stay here long!"

"You're the beast that escaped the fortress," The Black Knight said. "I can't let you leave…not as long as you have those three Angelus Crystals with you."

Lucario merely snarled as he jumped back from the Black Knight. He landed near Lyn and Ike. "Grab onto me, Lyn and hold onto Ike," Lucario said. "I'm going to take us to safety!" Lyn grabbed Ike, then she took a hold of Lucario's arm. Lucario did another Foresight, then bolted away from the Black Knight. The fighting Pokemon didn't stop running until he reached Kakariko Village. "He wouldn't suspect us coming here," he said softly.

"Ike!" Lyn shouted as she shook Ike. "He's heavily wounded…and he's fading away. He…can't die. Ike…please answer me!"

Ike let out a soft breath before he closed his eyes and slowly felt limp. Lucario narrowed his eyes before he placed a paw on Ike's wound. "Lyn! Step back!" Lucario shouted as he gathered energy. "I'm going to transfer some of my aura to him. It will keep him alive, but he will need medicine. Go get some from the medicine woman!"

"Got it!" Lyn said as she ran off towards the potion shop.

Meanwhile, Lucario let out a growl as blue aura appeared from his paw. The blue aura soon completely surrounded Ike. Lucario grunt as he continued to transfer aura to Ike. Minutes seemed like hours and Ike had not moved an inch since he was on the ground. Lyn returned with a blue potion in hand. She knelt down next to Ike and watched with a heavy heart as Lucario tried his best to resurrect Ike. "It's…is it not working?" Lucario asked. "Am I…too late?"

"No…" Lyn whimpered.

Pit followed the carriage as he flew through the clouds. The angel was careful to avoid the thunder and lighting that was emitted from the clouds. He had to make sure that he did not lose the carriage. He let out a gasp as he saw where the carriage was heading for. "It's going for the Gerudo Desert," he said. "Oh…Zelda is in trouble!" Pit looked down at the carriage and noticed that Sheik was holding onto the carriage's backside.

Pit skydived through the air and swooped close by to where Sheik is. "Sheik…" he whispered softly. "The carriage is going to the desert."

"I figured that," Sheik replied. "The thing is…why hasn't the princess done anything by now?"

"What do we do?"

"…I'm sure that Auntie Impa should be heading over to the fortress soon. I'll go and meet up with her. I need you to go find Ike! Find Ike and the others and tell them that we need help."

"Will you be alright by yourself?"

"I'll be fine! I can take care of myself! Zelda will need all the support she can handle at the moment. Go now before someone sees you!"

"Got it!" Pit nodded before he took off to the skies once more. Unaware that Pit had been spotted by a Gerudo guard. The woman snarled as she took out a bow and arrow and aimed at the angel. She smirked as she released the arrow. The arrow flew through the air and managed to hit Pit. The tiny angel fell from the sky. Sheik let out a yell which alarmed Zelda, Link, and the driver. Sheik quickly covered her mouth as she tried to calm down.

Pit winced as landed on the ground. He slowly got up and began to whimper. The arrow was now stuck on his right leg. "Oww…" Pit whimpered. "That hurt!" Tears were threatening to come down from his eyes. He shook off the pain and continued to fly. "Pit needs to find Ike…only Ike can save Zelda! But…where is Ike? Oh! Pit can't go on…unless Pit finds Great Fairy fountain. Only the Great Fairy can heal Pit's wounds. Hmm…Pit thinks that there might be a fairy fountain in the graveyard." Pit began to fly over into the direction of Kakariko Village.

Lucario hissed through his fangs as he continued to channel aura through his paws. Ike managed to stir a bit as he opened his eyes. Lyn smiled as she wiped a tear away from her face. "Oh Ike!" Lyn squealed. "I'm so glad that you're alive! I thought you were gone for sure."

"Ugh…I feel terrible," Ike groaned. "Lyn…Lucario…you saved me?"

"Yeah…I'm glad you're okay."

Ike grunted as he tried to sit up. Lyn tried to keep him on the ground, but Ike refused. Lucario stopped transferring aura. The fighting Pokemon let out a sigh and wheeze as he fell on the ground, exhausted over the entire aura transfer. "I…" Lucario let out. "I need to rest…"

"Take a rest, Lucario," Lyn said. "You deserve it. Now Ike…I need you to drink this potion! It will rejuvenate you!"

"Thanks…Lyn," Ike replied as he took the blue potion from Lyn and drank it as fast as he could. "I can't thank you guys enough for going through all this trouble to save me."

"Think nothing of it. You could have done the same for us. Anyway…where were you going in such a hurry?"

Ike looked away from Lyn. His smile vanished and a scowl appeared on his face. "It was nothing," Ike replied. "I had to leave for home. I'm needed there."

"What about us?" Lyn asked. "Zelda still needs you."

"No she doesn't. She told me that directly at me…she doesn't need my services any longer. She's going to marry some prince and his kingdom will take care of the entire problem."

"Ike!" Pit shouted as he flew over to the trio. "Ike! Pit's so glad to see you right now."

"Pit, what happened to you?!" Lyn shouted as she saw the arrow sticking out from Pit's leg.

"Pit got hurt!" Pit cried. "Mean desert lady shot Pit with arrow."

"I'll get it out!" Lyn said as she placed Pit down on the ground. "On the count of three…I'll pull it out."

"Wait!" Pit shouted. "First Pit needs to deliver a message to Ike. Ike…Zelda is in trouble! She is being taken to Ganondorf's lair. It was all a set up to take her there. We have to go save her! Come on, Ike!" Pit took a hold of Ike's hand and tugged on it. Ike didn't even bother to budge.

"I'm not going…" Ike replied.

"What?!" Was the reply that came out from Lyn, Pit, and Lucario's voice.

"I am not going to save her. If Zelda's in trouble…I won't do it! I will not save her this time! She told she didn't need my help! My contract is done. Besides…she told me she didn't need me."

"Regardless…she needs our help!" Lyn let out. "Zelda will need all the help she can get!"

"…I'm sorry…"

"But Ike…" Pit whined. "Zelda needs…"

"Zelda doesn't need me! She told me that herself!"

Lucario slowly sat up from the ground. "Listen to me then," he said. "If you won't do it for the princess…then do it so that you can assure that you did a job well done. If Ganondorf is gone…then your services have truly ended and you will show to your father that you can get the job well done."

Ike remained silent as he thought about this. He growled through his teeth. "Fine!" he said. "But once Ganondorf is dead…I'm leaving! Now…let's go save Zelda!"

"Ike! Watch out!" Mist shouted as she got up from her bed. The young brunette quivered a bit. Just then the door to her room opened. Titania walked inside and sat down beside Mist.

"Mist, are you alright?" Titania asked.

"Titania…" Mist whimpered as she held onto the red headed warrior. "I… had a bad dream."

"About Ike again?"

Mist nodded.

"Oh Mist…you know that your brother should be arriving here soon."

"But Titania…I've had dreams. I keep having the same dream over and over again! Each time I have that dream, my medallion glows brightly. I dream about Ike and he's out in this field. Suddenly a black cloud surrounds him and two other lights…one is green and the other is blue. The dark clouds engulf all three of them and all I hear is screaming…all I feel…is emptiness. I don't want Ike to die!"

"He isn't going to die…I can assure you this…"

"I also see a lady in my dream. She's a princess…who has a golden treasure. It's a triangle…actually three triangles that take the form of one. I don't know what it means…but it means something. Please…Titania…I don't want to have this dream again! I want to see Ike."

"I need to inform the commander about this…"

"No need, Titania," Greil said as he leaned against the doorway. Soren stood right next to the commander with a book in his hands. "It is strange…but this golden treasure that Mist talks about…is something interesting."

"I barely purchased this book two days ago," Soren spoke. "It says that the golden treasure that Mist talked about is known as the Triforce. It is split into three pieces: Wisdom, Power, and Courage. It resides in the land of Hyrule…but its merely a legend."

"But I saw it in my dream! Ike…is fighting alongside this woman! A very pretty woman!"

"The woman you talk about…or at least described the other day is none other than the current Princess Zelda. Many think of her as a prophet…others see her as a witch. Either way…it does sound bizarre. Some say that she is able to emit prophecies to others. Perhaps…this is just a bizarre event…perhaps Ike is…in Hyrule?"

"He has yet to arrive," Greil spoke. "I have to admit…I'm rather worried. Perhaps…if it will make Mist feel better…that we all depart for Hyrule together. After all…we do have to escort that strange mask merchant to Hyrule."

"Oh! You're taking all of us to Hyrule?" Mist let out. "Thank you, Father! I'm sure Ike is there! If my dream tells me he's there!"

"That way, you at least can't say that I'm not a good father. Then its settled. All of us will depart to Hyrule. I have hired a mercenary named Mia to watch over the base while we're gone. I'm sure she will do an excellent job at watching over the place."

_End of chapter! _

_Chapter Eleven: Showdown_

_- "For my tribe…I will avenge them all! Even if I die…I will take you with me, Marth!"_


	11. Chapter 11: Showdown Part 1

-1_Hey! I'm back with another chapter. _

**A Hero's Creed**

**Chapter Eleven: Showdown Part One**

Impa rushed through the fields of grass. She let out huffs as she tried to scurry as best as she could to get to the fortress. _If my feelings are correct, _she thought, _Zelda is in danger. I have to make sure the princess does not set foot in that fortress. _However, even with Impa's speed, she could not catch up to the carriage which arrived at the fortress.

The carriage stopped at the entrance. Link opened the carriage door and walked out from it. He extended his hand over to Zelda. Zelda took a hold of it and walked down from the carriage. "Take a hold of my arm," Link said as he offered his arm to the princess. Zelda looked at him with a skeptical look, but she did what she was told. Both Zelda and Link walked through the fortress. They were greeted by all the Gerudo women who were guarding the hallways.

Link smiled at them, which made the women swoon from him. Zelda let out a scoff as she looked away from Link. _He's changed, _she thought. _I wonder if it was wise of me to actually do this._ Link looked over at the princess and noticed her behavior. He grabbed a hold of Zelda's hand with his free hand and gave it a squeeze.

"Don't worry," he whispered softly at her. "They only admire me. I wouldn't want to get involved with this ugly bunch."

"Kinda late for that one…" Zelda replied in a sarcastic tone.

"I see…still cold at me."

"I won't let this go until your 'plan' actually does work."

"Don't fret, Zelda…I promise I'll take good care of you."

As the duo reached the throne room. Link kneeled down before the throne. He brought Zelda down to her knees and lowered her head. Sitting up on the throne was Ganondorf. The Great King of Evil smiled victoriously as he saw the princess before him. Zelda took one good look at the evil king before she looked away. Link squeezed Zelda's hand a bit more, to reassure her that he was going to take good care of her. "My lord," Link spoke. "I have brought you, Princess Zelda of Hyrule as you asked."

"Excellent," Ganondorf spoke as he got off from the throne and walked over to Link and Zelda. He placed a hand upon Zelda's chin and brought her face close to his. "Princess Zelda…how nice to see you. You know…you've been a thorn on my side ever since I pledged allegiance to your father. You suspected me of greater evil…and you were right. The good thing about your father is that he never knew that I was behind all of your kidnappings. Now, I have you within my grasps."

"What do you want from me?" Zelda asked. "If you wished to kill me…then go ahead and do it. I do not fear death."

"How brave and naïve of you, Your Highness…" Ganondorf chuckled as he caressed Zelda's chin. "but if I wanted you dead, I could have sent in my general, Marth to kill not only you but your entire kingdom. No…you being dead won't cut it…just yet. You have something I want. You have the Triforce of Wisdom with you."

"No!" Zelda shouted. "You can't have it!"

"It doesn't matter what you do…you are in my world. I will extract the Triforce from your body. But once I finish with it…I won't be through with you yet. You have such strong powers…it would be a shame to kill you now. You will be perfect for the Angelus Project. I need a good vessel to try out the new Angelus Crystals."

Zelda's eyes widen as she let out a gasp. Link looked away from the princess, feeling ashamed to even look at her.

"Link," Ganondorf said.

"Yes, My lord?" Link asked as he moved his gaze over to the king.

"Take Zelda to our special holding cell. We need her alive and unharmed."

"Yes…My lord."

"Oh…and one more thing. I have promoted you from lieutenant to captain. You will now have access to the angel holding cells and experimental room. I'll need you to be able to go there when we escort the princess. After all…you do have a way with handling her."

"Or course…My lord." Link bowed once more at Ganondorf before he took Zelda off towards her cell. Zelda shiver slightly as she took each step towards her holding cell. Once they arrived at the cell, Link opened the door and led Zelda in. As he closed the door, he looked around to see if they were alone. "Alright…this is what I'm going to do. Tonight…as soon as I get the keys to the angel cells, I'm going to free them. Once they are free, I'm coming for you. We'll escape together and run to the castle. I'll leave you off there then I'll come back here and finish the job."

"Link!" Zelda said. "Are you really going to face all of them alone?"

"It's the only way. Unless…you have some sort of an _alternative_ plan."

Zelda cringed a bit as she heard Link's hint of hurt and sarcasm. "If you're talking about Ike…" Zelda said. "I do hope he could come and help us. But…I don't know if he is coming."

"Don't worry about him. If he does die or live…I'll be here to help you. Now…stay here and wait for me. Don't try to leave this place until I tell you to."

"Alright…I'll wait."

Link bowed to Zelda before he disappeared into the darkness. Zelda let out a sigh as she sat down on the cold ground. Thoughts of Ike floated through her head. She grew worried and concerned about the blue haired mercenary. More than anything, she felt hurt. "Oh Ike…" she said softly. "Please live so I can ask for your forgiveness. I want to apologize for all those things I said to you…and to tell you that I…I have fallen…for…"

Sheik slipped from the back of the carriage and hide through the shadows of the fortress. She did her best to move around undetected. Once a guard got close to her, Sheik ran over to the Gerudo and would straggle her with her chain whip. Once the Gerudo lost consciousness, Sheik released her hold on the Gerudo. She scurried through the darkness. Once she reached one of the cells, she peered inside.

"Huh…" Sheik let out. "Nothing…"

"Who's there?" came a soft voice from behind the cell.

Sheik froze in place. _I know that voice! _she thought as she ran over to the cell door. Inside was Princess Zelda. "Your Highness!" Sheik let out.

"Sheik!" Zelda let out as she got up from the ground. "Oh…am I glad to see you!"

"I'll get you out!"

"Wait!" Zelda shouted. "I can't…I promised Link I would stay here until he comes for me."

"What?!" Sheik let out. "And you trusted him? After what he's done to you!?"

"Sheik…I trust him and I know deep down…you do too."

Sheik let out a sigh as she closed her eyes. She bit her lip slightly. "Yeah," she replied. "I do. But I can't let you risk your life. I'll take your place."

"Are you sure?" Zelda asked. "I really don't think…"

"Listen…I'll follow along with Link's plan, but we can't let you go through any more pain. I'll switch places with you and you switch places with me."

"…alright!"

Sheik smiled as she took out a lock pick from her hair and began to mess around with the lock. Once the cell door as open, Zelda stepped out. She closed her eyes as a bright light emitted from her. She transformed into Sheik while Sheik transformed into Zelda. Sheik-Zelda smiled at Zelda-Sheik. Zelda-Sheik bowed to Sheik-Zelda as she stepped inside of the cell and locked it.

"Listen," Zelda-Sheik said as she pointed at the door. "To get out of here undetected, you need to walk in the shadows. Hug the wall as much as you can. Once you reach the road, run as fast as you can out of here. Go to the castle and wait there. Whatever you do, do NOT leave the castle! Wait until I come back. Promise me, Your Highness."

"I promise," Sheik-Zelda said as he smiled at his companion. "I'll be sure to do so. Take care of yourself."

And with that, Sheik-Zelda ran off, hiding in the shadows. The blond youth slid from shadow to shadow, making sure not to get caught by the now few conscious Gerudo women. Just as Sheik-Zelda was about to make it to the exit of the Gerudo Fortress, a shadow loomed over him. He slowly turned around to meet eye to eye with a pair of dull sapphire orbs.

The figure before Sheik-Zelda had an expressionless face that had an aura of sorrow around the figure. Marth cocked his head to a side and looked down at the disguised Sheikah. Sheik-Zelda let out a swift kick to Marth's face before he tried to make a mad dash to freedom. However, the cobalt haired man managed to stop him from going any further. Marth stabbed Sheik-Zelda on his side and pinned him on the ground.

Sheik-Zelda let out a yell of pain as he tried to pull the sword off from his body. Sheik-Zelda grabbed the blade and tried with all his might to pull the wretched thing out. Blood began to drip from the bandaged hands of the blond Sheikah. Marth just twisted the sword, making the blond Sheikah yell out in pain. Sheik-Zelda was loosing a lot of blood from the wounds that were given to him. He slowly started to black out from the loss of blood.

Marth inspected the body before him. The blue haired man noticed that his opponent was a male. He hissed slightly as he pulled out the Falchion from Sheik-Zelda's body. Blood dripped from the tip of his sword and fell on the ground. He sheath his weapon and picked up the frail body. He slowly carried of Sheik-Zelda back into the fortress. He gently placed the fallen spy in one of the cell beds and began to nurse him back to health. Once he was done, Marth locked the cell door and left.

Lucario moved at a high speed as he used Foresight to get to the desert faster. Pit, Lyn, and Ike hold onto the blue Pokemon as he reached the entrance of the fortress. He didn't stop running until he reached the roof of the fortress. The trio released their hold on Lucario as soon as he stopped using Foresight. Ike looked around where he was.

"So this is the fortress," he said softly.

"Ike! We should go find Zelda!" Lyn let out as she began to climb down the fortress.

"…Lyn," Ike said.

"Hmm?"

"You go find Zelda…I'll find Ganondorf and Link. I'm going to put a stop to all this."

"Are you sure you don't need my help?"

"I'm sure…besides…don't you want to find Marth and kill him?"

"Y-yeah…"

Lucario rolled his eyes. "I'll go find Zelda and take her. It seems you two have too much hate in those lustful eyes of yours."

"Oh! I am concerned about Zelda!" Lyn said.

"Then let me go get Zelda. You will only be wanting to fight against Marth. Besides…I can transfer the princess safely to the castle."

"Thank you, Lucario!" Lyn said. "You're absolutely right!"

"Don't let your hate consume you…"

Lyn climbed off from the second floor and entered the doorway beneath the team. Meanwhile Ike climbed down and began to search the third floor of the fortress. Before Lucario took off, he noticed Pit was by himself, staring at the ground. "What's the matter with you?" Lucario asked.

"Pit…" Pit sniffed. "When Pit came here…Pit found angels. They were locked up and terrible things were happening to them."

"The Angelus Crystals you mean," Lucario said. "It would be wise to set them free. Perhaps, that's your job."

"Pit should set them free?"

"Yes…you should head over there and free them."

"Okay! Pit will go and free them!" Pit giggled a bit as he flew off into the same direction where he found the angels from before. He hope to find them unguarded.

Lyn crawled as she passed the corridor before her. Her heart was pounding rather loudly as she tried to stay hidden from the guards. Once she was in close contact with one of them, Lyn grabbed a hold of the woman and twisted her head. She quickly disposed of the body before anyone would rouse up any suspicion. _Where in the world is he? _Lyn thought as she looked around the kitchen area. _It seems like whenever I'm looking for him, I can't find him. Whenever I'm not looking for him, he finds me._

Just then out from the corner of her eye, she saw Marth's figure walking gracefully through one of the corridors. Lyn froze in place. However, it seemed that Marth had not seen her since he didn't even bother to walk into the kitchen. Lyn quickly ran over to the corridor. Her anger and hate rose up as she saw Marth walking down.

"You!" Lyn shouted.

Marth stopped in his tracks. Slowly, he turned his head to catch a glimpse of Lyn.

"You…monster!" Lyn shouted. "You were the one responsible for what happened to me! You…obliterated my tribe! Every last Lorca…even the children! You heartless monster! I won't let you get away with this! For my tribe…I will avenge them all! Even if I die…I will take you with me, Marth! Prepare to die at my hands, because I will cut your head off and place it on a silver platter!"

Marth slowly turned his full attention to Lyn. His mouth was slightly agape. In his left hand he had a red potion. Marth extended his right arm at Lyn, as if he wanted to tell her something. "I…" Marth wheezed as he tried to talk. "I…"

"Enough!" Lyn shouted as she rushed over to Marth. She unsheathed the Mani Katti from its sheath and ran over to Marth. He slashed at the prince. Her blade connected against his blue tunic, barely missing his bare skin. Upon instinct, Marth shoved the potion inside of his tunic, took out the Falchion from its sheath then sliced at Lyn. The blade sliced through the skin of Lyn's arm. Lyn winced as she grabbed her arm. Blood started to gush from her wound.

She glared at the blue haired man before she rushed at him and assaulted him with a barrage of attacks. Marth blocked Lyn's attacks, blow for blow, however, the more Lyn attack, the less it was possible for Marth to block them. Lyn's anger and hatred grew as she managed to slash at Marth. She slashed right at his cheek. Marth hissed as he touched his cheek. His fingers trailed down the wound. He looked at his the tips of his fingers and saw the blood on them.

His dark cerulean eyes soon turned into a slight shade of blue as he began to glow. His blue eyes eventually turned yellow as a pair of blue clear wings appeared on his back. Lyn growled as she ran over to Marth and began to slash at him with a barrage. However, she stopped as soon as she noticed that none of her slashes were affecting him. Marth's wounds began to heal. The cut on his cheek closed as if nothing happened to it.

Marth growled as he now hovered above the ground. He glared at the swordswoman before he flew over to her and slashed at her. The blade did not make contact with the Sacean woman, but the aura that emitted from the tip of the sword was enough to send Lyn flying against the wall. She let out a howl as she was slammed against the wall. The warrior coughed up blood as she tried to get out from the wall. Out from the corner of her eye, she saw Marth coming towards her.

Pit scouted the top floor of the fortress. As he explored the area, he managed to find angel cells unguarded. He flew over to the doors and looked inside. One of the angels was a young boy who seemed much younger than Pit. His blond hair was held together with a cowlick. His charcoal colored eyes were shiny from the tears that he had finished emitting. Pit let out a gasp as he knew who this little angel was.

"Lucas!" Pit squealed.

"Pit?" Lucas, the blond angel, asked. "What are you doing here?"

"Pit was gonna ask you the same thing! How did you get here?"

"I was…I was off flying along with everyone else when suddenly some dark cloud appeared out of nowhere and took us."

"Everyone?!" Pit let out as he hovered a bit to look more inside of the cage. Inside of the cage, a young boy who looked exactly like Lucas sat next to him. Instead of having golden locks, he had ebony ones. Next to him were a pair of twins with soft chestnut colored hair. One was a little boy with dark brown eyes and the other was a little girl with bobby bangs. The last child inside was a blond boy with cat like, black eyes and Elvin ears. "Ness, Popo, Nana, Link!" Pit let out.

"It's Pit!" Ness, the black haired boy, let out as he hovered over to the cage's door.

"Pit!" The other children let out as they all hovered against the door.

"Pit, how did you get here?" Toon Link let out.

"Pit got here because Pit was sent on a mission by Palutena to help Princess Zelda!" Pit exclaimed. "But no time for talking, Pit has to get you out now!" Pit began to fidget with the iron door. He kicked it, slashed at it, even tried to find a lock to pick at the door. "What kind of door is this?"

"This is a special door," Popo, the brunette child said. "It can only be opened if you enter the correct code for the lock. The lock released is over there." Popo pointed at a strange machine behind Pit. Pit hovered over to the machine and looked at the bizarre object in front of him. Glowing buttons appeared on the screen which were numbered.

"What's the code?" Pit asked.

"We don't know…" Ness replied.

"Pit will have to then punch the numbers then!" Pit said as he placed a finger on one of the numbers.

"Pit be careful!" Nana let out. "If you push the wrong thing, you will activate the alarm and people will come."

"Then how should Pit do this?"

"There is a clue around here…" Lucas said. "I heard Medusa talking about some sort of a clue on the wall to open the door. I think its that one over there." Lucas pointed at the mural on the wall. Pit hovered over to the mural and began to read it.

"Ugh…Pit doesn't understand this…" Pit whined. "It says 'In the darkest hour of the night, seven statues stood in the graveyard. Four pointed in a general direction, three of the seven statues had their fingers removed, so that they may not accused the one who did the crime'. Darkest hour of the night…"

"Three in the morning…" Lucas said softly. "The darkest hour of the night is three in the morning. Pit, it's a code."

"Three must be the first number." Ness said.

Pit pushed down the three on the number pad. The machine let out a small beep, indicating that he punched in the right number. "Okay! Now for the other numbers! Pit thinks…the next numbers might be four, three, and…Pit doesn't know the last one."

"…The last one…" Toon Link said. "It has to be four."

"How do you know?" Pit asked.

"The last sentence says that three of the fingers were removed so that they many not accused the one who did the crime. One finger was left uncut. Meaning that the last one is four."

"So the combination is three, four, three, four?" Pit asked. "That isn't such a clever code." Pit punched in the last three numbers. He waited patiently for any response from the door. In a matter of moments, the doors opened and all the angels flew out from them. Pit smiled widely as he watched all the free angels. "Go now and fly off into freedom!" Pit exclaimed. "Those that live in Angel Land, the Skyworld, go home already and report to Palutena for Pit. Tell her that Pit is okay and is going to save Zelda."

"We got it!" Ness replied. "We'll come back and find you as soon as you're done with this mission."

"Thanks!"

"Pit, be careful!" Nana whimpered.

"Don't worry! Pit will be careful!" Pit smiled softly as he watched his companions fly off into the night sky. "Pit hopes that they will be okay."

However, Pit failed to notice the dark shadow looming over him. At that moment, Pit was hit behind the head with a blunt object. The tiny angel fell on the ground, unconscious. Samus walked over to Pit. "You shouldn't have come here," she said in a soft voice.

"Heh, good work, Samus," Medusa chuckled as she walked over to the fallen angel. "This little pest has been an eyesore to me for quite a while. He is strong and quite pure. He will make the perfect Grand Angelus Crystal. Samus…prepare the machine to extract his essence. He will do it tonight along with the princess."

"Right away?" Samus asked. "But shouldn't we wait for the red moon to arise?"

"We don't need the red moon. With my powers alone, I can generate enough to give the affects of the red moon to all over the fortress. It will weaken me for a bit, but it will be worth it. We need to extract the Triforce from the princess…and that elf boy. Samus…be a dear and once you finish putting that angel on the table…bring Link over to the ceremonial room. His use has expired. He has only one last duty to fulfill and that's to offer the Triforce of Courage to Ganondorf."

"What?"

"You honestly didn't think we'd be able to trust him and keep him with us? Samus…you're different from that brat. Look into his eyes and you'll still see nobleness in his eyes. All he's done is protect the princess from us. I don't trust him as far as I can throw him. You, on the other hand, have only love for one thing: money. I know that when we hired you, you only cared about money. When we hired him…we knew he didn't want anything but to protect the princess. We only pretended to trust him so he can give us access to the princess."

"Once we extract the Triforce of Courage from him…we'll let him go, right?" Samus asked.

Medusa took one good look at Samus before she started cackling. "Let him go?" she chided. "We can't possibly do that. We know he will resist us. The only possible way to get the Triforce for Courage from his body is to kill him."

Samus remained quiet. _Link's cover his blown, _she thought. _I have to warn him before this gets any serious._

"Now Samus," Medusa spoke. "Go put the angel on the table…then go get Link."

"…Yes, ma'am." Samus replied.

Lucario searched around for any aura. He tried to sense for the princess but ended up finding two auras that are the same. _Why do I sense the princess in two different locations? _he thought as he dashed through the hallways once he knew the coast was clear. _Something must have happened. _Lucario stopped in his tracks once he found a cell. Inside of the cell was Princess Zelda. Lucario rushed over to the cell. "Princess Zelda!" Lucario let out.

"Lucario?" Zelda-Sheik let out as she tilted her head. "You came!"

"Hold on, princess…I'll get you out!"

"Wait! Let me tell you something. I'm not Zelda! It's me…Sheik."

"Sheik? Why are you…?"

"Zelda wanted to head back to the castle…so I took her place as her. She's me at the moment."

Lucario stopped for a moment. "So that's why…."

"That's why what?" Zelda-Sheik asked.

"That's why I sensed two auras. The princess is still here."

"What? Damn! What is she still doing here?"

"I don't know…but her aura isn't moving. In fact…its fading."

Zelda-Sheik's eyes widen in pure horror. "Let me out! We have to go save her!"

"Stand back!" Lucario shouted as he gathered aura from his paws. "I'll open this using my aura."

"Stop right there," a male voice shouted.

Lucario turned around to meet face to face with Link. Link had the Master Sword out and pointed at Lucario. "You'll leave her there," he said softly. "Sorry…but I worked hard to bring her here."

"Link," Samus shouted as she ran over to Link. "Take the princess…and get out of here! They know that you're against them. They know from the very beginning that you were a double agent for the princess."

"A double agent?" Zelda-Sheik asked.

"Yes, Your Highness…I told you about it when we were in the carriage," Link replied. "Or maybe…" Link leaned over to the cell. He examined Zelda-Sheik and noticed a pair of ruby colored eyes. "Sheik…I should have known."

"Heh…I guess there is no need to hide it anymore," Zelda-Sheik used magic to transform back into her actual form. "Yeah…"

"So…what happened to Zelda?"

Lucario only growled as he looked at Link. Sheik only crossed her arms as she glared at Link.

"I know you don't trust me…but right now we need to save Zelda," Link said. "I'll let you go…my mission is almost done."

"How do I know I can trust either of you two?" Sheik spat.

"What other choice do you have?" Link asked. "Its either we team up to save the princess…or Samus will paralyze Lucario and take him back to his original jail cell and you'll stay here."

Sheik fumed as she heard Link talk to her that way. However, she didn't have much of a choice on the matter. "Fine…we'll go save Zelda. But once we do that…you've got a lot of explaining to do."

"I'll tell you everything once we're free from this place."

Meanwhile, in the other jail cell. Sheik-Zelda reverted back to her original form. She rolled over on the ground and coughed up blood. She felt dizzy and weak. She looked over at her side and saw the huge blood stain on her dress. "Am I…going to die?" she asked herself as she was slowly blacking out.

_End of chapter! _

_Chapter Twelve: Showdown Part Two_

_- "He…did come for me. I knew that you would save me, Ike. Ike…I wanted to tell you that…I'm sorry…"_


	12. Chapter 12: Showdown Part 2

-1_Hey! I'm back with another chapter. _

**A Hero's Creed**

**Chapter Twelve: Showdown Part Two**

Ike searched all around the third floor. The corridors were a lot darker than the rest of the fortress. The torches barely lit the stone hallways. The musky scent caused him to cough up as they stung his nostrils. He knew the scent was the scent of blood. He knew that a lot of people were assassinated in this area. No doors were in the long narrow hallway he was currently walking in, except for a large wooden double doors.

The double doors were golden embodied on the hinges and the decorations. Upon the handles were two pig-like creatures. Ike heard strange mumblings coming from behind the doors. Ike leaned over to try to catch any dialogue that was from the other side of the door.

"I see," Ganondorf spoke as he sat down on his throne. "So you found the perfect angel for a Grand Angelus Crystal."

"Yes, of course," Medusa spoke. "Listen…we have about almost two months before the rise of the red moon. Do you really intend to wait that long for the ceremony?"

"What did you have in mind?"

"I do have the power to give the entire fortress the effects of the red moon…but only temporarily. It will be enough for you to extract the Triforce from both that wretched girl and her flea ridden servant. Of course…it comes with a price…"

"What is the condition?" Ganondorf asked.

"Well…even though I am a goddess…because my wretched sister, Palutena and her foolish captain zapped me of my full powers, I can no longer do this without being weakened. Once I do this spell…I will temporarily have no powers. Meaning, I won't be able to power up your Angelus Crystals for a while."

"That wouldn't be a problem," Ganondorf spoke. "If we do this…we will have the Triforce in hand. Angelus Crystals will be the least of our problems once we make the wish. Restore you to your full power and make a full goddess again."

"Yes…once that is done, I will overthrow Palutena and the three goddesses. Then I shall make you immortal. Everything in sight will be yours since you will be king of the entire cosmos. Ashnard can have Tellius for all we care…but even if he does have Grand Angelus Crystals…he won't live forever. He won't be killed by mortal hands…but he won't live forever as you will."

"Excellent," Ganondorf chuckled, "Once Ashnard is dead, I will take his crystals then rule over Tellius. We'll let him have his little fun. After all…I'll have all of eternity to do as I please."

"Heh…alright. Then do we have an agreement?"

"Of course…do what you must."

"Tonight…at midnight, I will created a dark vortex which will consume the fortress, giving the effects of the red moon, I will be weakened, but I can still work the blasted machine. Once we extract the essence from…Pit as he is called, he will then take Zelda to the Ceremonial Room where she will have her powers extracted from her. Once we do that, we will insert the Grand Angelus Crystal to test it out to see if it works. If she doesn't deform, grow very ill, or dies, then the crystal will be yours…once we take her essence and infuse it with the crystal…making it far more powerful than anything in the mortal world."

"Deform?" Ganondorf asked. "As in those blasted angels wings that Marth emits from his back?"

"No…Marth's wings are actually a good sign that the crystal is working perfectly. Deformation of the body and face is what I meant. As in…the beautiful Princess Zelda would look like one of your Re-Dead…unable to ever show her face in public in fear that people will mistake her for a monster. Even so…it isn't a bad thing. We could insert more crystals in her body, making an even more powerful crystal from her essence. I can't guarantee that even if she doesn't deform that she would remain Hylian for long. She'll loose her mind, her body, her will, and her true power. If what is said is true…her bloodline is special…is it not?"

"Of course it is…" a young male voice spoke. "I have faced it before. After all…I did fight against not one but two of her ancestors. Each grows more powerful through time. Why do you suppose I have this scar on my face? I didn't do it myself…oh no. The Hyrule Royal Family bloodline has a sacred power, which I told you about. It was, thanks to me, that the princess is even alive at the moment. If not…you both would have killed her by now."

From the shadows of the room, a young pale man walked into the light. His long lavender locks gracefully touched his frail body. His dark red cape covered his dark purple tunic and calf-long pants. Upon his head was a red sock hat. "After all," he spoke, "none has ever hurt Vaati, the great Wind Mage."

"Don't get cocky, Vaati," Ganondorf said. "I have to admit…if I didn't think your powers were not that great, I wouldn't have freed you from your century old prison. We'll need someone to control her powers."

"Of course, My Lord….of course…"

Ike hissed between his teeth. He gripped the handle of the Regal Sword tightly as anger filled his head. _Those bastards, _he thought. _They're going to hurt Zelda tonight…I can't let them do that!_ _I don't care if Zelda thinks of me as a worthless rag, I have to protect her! _Ike let out a yell before he kicked the door open. Medusa, Vaati, and Ganondorf stared at him as he walked in.

"Its that errand boy of hers…" Ganondorf spoke. "Ike…was it not?"

"Ganondorf…I'm here to stop you," Ike hissed.

"Oh how delightful…" Medusa chided. "Looks like the errand boy has come to save the princess. Hmm…" Medusa looked out at the window and noticed the position of the moon. "Pity…we're running out of time."

"Medusa…Vaati…" Ganondorf spoke. "You two leave us. Go off and start the extraction now. I'll handle this boy. He isn't a threat to me."

"Alright then," Medusa said.

"As you wish," Vaati replied. Both villains walked passed Ike and headed out towards the cells. Ike and Ganondorf glared at each other. Ganondorf chuckled slightly as Ike just scowled. He got into a fighter's stance as he glared at the King of Evil.

"Boy…are you ready to die for the princess?" Ganondorf spoke.

"Sorry…" Ike replied. "But I came here to put an end to you. That way…I can go home already."

"Heh…don't count on it, boy."

Ike let out a yell as he rushed over to Ganondorf. He lifted the sword over his head as he jumped as high as he could. He slashed at the king with all his might.

Link, Sheik, Samus, and Lucario scurried through the hallways. Lucario had his eyes closed as he searched for Princess Zelda's aura. Lucario growled a bit as it took all his concentration to find a fading aura. "Her aura is almost gone," Lucario said.

"We have to hurry!" Sheik shouted.

"Its quite difficult to find her aura amongst all the strong aura around me."

"Sorry…" Sheik replied.

"After we find the princess," Samus said, "we should save the angel before the extraction takes place."

"Angel?" Link asked.

"Yeah…that little angel that shot me and you with an arrow."

"Pit!" Sheik let out. "What do you mean 'extraction'? What are you guys planning to do with him?"

"Medusa is going to turn him into a Grand Angelus Crystal since his essence is quite great."

"We have to save him!"

"This is quite a predicament…" Link said. "Sheik…you and Samus go save Pit. Lucario and I will go save Zelda. I think it would be easier and faster if we split up. After all…we haven't got much time now."

"A-alright!" Sheik replied. "But…if she tries anything suspicious on me…don't expect to see her again, Link."

Link merely smiled. "Don't worry…I know Samus isn't that type of person. I need you two to work together. We all have a common goal here…so let's work our best and work together."

Samus merely scoffed as she headed off in the direction of where Pit was being held.

"He-hey!" Sheik let out as she followed the bounty hunter. "Wait up for me!"

"Hurry up then," Samus replied. "You're too slow."

"Too slow? I'll show you too slow!"

Link just rolled his eyes as he saw both women squabble like children. He turned his attention to Lucario who merely tried his best to ignore him. However, Link knew that the blue Pokemon didn't trust him at all. "Lead the way, Lucario," Link spoke softly.

"Hmm…" Lucario let out as he waved his paw in the air. Once he caught Zelda's aura, he quickly scurried after it with Link following behind him.

Zelda tried to open her eyes, but her body wouldn't let her. Her breath was slowly doing softly. Even though, she had a bandage over her wound, it wasn't enough to stop the bleeding. Her bandage and dress was now soaked in her own blood. _I can't die…_she thought. _I can't die…not right now. I have to…save my kingdom. I…need to stop Ganondorf…I…need to apologize…to Ike._

Just then the door to her cell block was open. Zelda did her best to open one of her sapphire colored eyes to see the figure before him. She saw the figure of a young man. His long cape flowed slightly as some of the night's breeze got into the cell. He seemed to be carrying something in his hand. _Ike…it's Ike! _Zelda thought. _He…did come for me. I knew that you would save me, Ike. Ike…I wanted to tell you that…I'm sorry. _Zelda slowly shifted her arm as she tried to reach out to the figure before her. "I…Ike…" she wheezed out before her closed her eyes and stopped breathing.

The figure hovering over Zelda slowly placed the bleeding and beaten body of Lyn. Lyn coughed up blood. She tried to move, but couldn't. Marth searched through his tunic and pulled out the red potion he kept. He grabbed Zelda's frail body and sat her up on his lap. He opened the bottle and poured the soothing liquid down her mouth. He shifted her neck up so that she could swallow it. In a matter of moments, Zelda started to breath again.

Once the princess seemed okay, Marth began to fix Lyn's wounds. He took out another bottle of red potion and poured it down her throat. Lyn let out a groan as the potion took effect on her. Marth nodded his head and began to walk away. However, he was stopped when someone pulled on his cape. The blue haired warrior looked down at the ground to see the figure of Zelda grabbing him.

"I…Ike…" she whimpered. "Don't go…please…don't go."

Marth's only response to Zelda was to yank the cape from her grasps then lock the cell door. He walked down the hallway to the outside of the fortress and looked out into the night sky. He let out a slight groan as he saw the bleeding wound that was on the left side of his hip. Before Marth was able to beat Lyn, the Sacean warrior managed to pierce him with the Mani Katti. Due to his crystal, Marth was unable to die, even though the wound was mortal.

The blue haired angel began to heal himself until his wound was gone. Marth let out a huff as he felt his entire body become exhausted. He leaned over to the edge of the roof, however, his eyes saw the figures of Samus and Sheik climbing up the fortress towards the Ceremonial Room. Marth tilted his head as he followed the two women.

Pit laid on a white sheeted bed. Half of his body was covered with a white linen sheet. His ankles, wrists and waist was held together. He slowly opened his eyes. Once he knew where he was, he yelp in surprise and tried to get away. "Ugh! Let Pit go!" he shouted as he struggled even more. But the bounds on his limbs were too strong.

"Pit!" Sheik called out as she arrived by the table.

"Sheik!" Pit squealed as he extended his wings a bit in joy. "You came to save Pit!"

"Of course I did, silly. I'll get you free. We're about to save Zelda soon."

Pit smiled widely as Sheik was trying to get Pit free from his bounds. However, his smile faded when he saw Samus appear.

"Sheik, watch out!" Pit shouted. "That woman is behind you!"

"I'm on your side now," Samus shouted. "Second of all…you can't open the bounds with your hands. We need to open them up from the master controls."

"Well, don't just stand there…operate the machine then!" Sheik shouted.

"Calm down…geez…" Samus walked over to the machine and began to fidget with the buttons. However, she stopped. "We have insufficient power. We have to power up the machine. I really don't like doing this…"

"Why?"

"Because…it hurts the poor thing…" Samus walked over to a glass container. Inside was a small, yellow creature with brown stripes on its back. Its long ears were folded back. Its charcoal black eyes were semi-closed indicating that it was tired. Samus placed a hand on the glass container. "Listen to me, Pikachu…" she said softly. "We'll need you to power up the machine…only enough to release the locks on Pit. After that…I'm getting you out."

"Pika…" whined Pikachu as it tried to get up from its stomach. He slowly got up on his four paws. It closed it eyes as its red cheeks began to glow. "Pikachu!!" Electricity shot through the entire container and was transferred over to the machine. Samus ran over to the machine and was trying to get the sequence right. As she was trying her best to free Pit. Sheik looked around the room. Her ruby colored eyes were fascinated by a metal door which had a strange word on it.

"What's this?" Sheik asked.

"That's the Blue Blur experiment," Samus said as she continued to push buttons. "He's unstable and unable to control according to Medusa and the others. He was one of the first to be experimented on with Angelus Crystals. I have only seen him once, but unlike most of the people and animals that I have seen…he still has a will of his own. Almost done…there."

The bounds on Pit's limbs soon were released. The tiny angel smiled as he got off from the bed and hovered over to Sheik. "Sheik!" Pit let out as he hugged her tightly. "Pit was so scared…never thought Pit would see you again."

Sheik hugged Pit tightly. "I was worried too…" she replied. "When I hear what they wanted to do with you…I thought you were a goner. I'm so glad you're okay."

Just then the ground beneath all of them shook violently. A strange hymn filled the area as the entire area before changed from a dark blue hue to a blood red hue. Samus growled as she remembered what this was. "Now's not the time for reunions!" Samus shouted as she switched her gun to a laser whip. "We got to get out of here, now!" Samus charged up her whip and shattered the glass container, freeing Pikachu from his prison. The small Pokemon landed in Samus arms. It shook and shivered from exhaustion.

"Heh…just as I thought!" a wicked female voice said. Samus, Sheik, Pit, and Pikachu turned around to see Medusa with Vaati standing by the entrance of the Extraction room. "You were nothing more than a sniveling coward," Medusa said. "A snake in the grass who betrayed the wrong goddess."

"You're about to fail!" Samus said. "The princess is being rescued as we speak. I already warned Link about you so now you lost your precious Triforce pieces, meaning you won't become a goddess like you wanted! The angel is free and he will easily get away from you. What's more…don't you feel weakened by what you did? I'm sure Vaati won't be enough to protect you from all of us!"

"Heh…" Medusa cackled. "You pitiful mortal…of course I will get Link back here. I have the one thing he cares about the most here." Medusa closed her eyes. In a split moment, she managed to turn Samus' legs into stone.

"What?!" Samus tried to break free.

"As long as you're still here…he will obey my command. Or else…I'll kill you. I may not have my full powers…but I can kill a mortal like you in seconds." Samus growled as she pointed her gun. Medusa merely scoffed as she saw Samus' weapon. "Hah! You think a mortal weapon like that will harm me? You're a bigger fool than I thought!"

Samus charged up her gun and shot at the machine in front of Medusa. "Who said I was aiming for you?" Samus asked. The machine went haywire and soon the combusted. The metal door to the unstable weapon was open. A gust of win blew from the metal doors and soon blue blurs appeared in front of them.

In Ganondorf's throne room. Ike ran to the King of Evil and delivered blow for blow. Ganondorf used his massive blade to block most of Ike's attacks. The Gerudo King raised his mighty sword above his hand. Ike saw the upcoming attack then back-flipped just as the sword came crashing down. The blade broke through the stone floor and created a whole on the floor. One could see the second floor through it.

Ike yelled as he ran over to Ganondorf and began to slash at him with a barrage of attacks. Ganondorf merely blocked, however one lone slash managed to cut at his cheek. Ganondorf placed a hand on his wound and saw the blood coming from it. He smirked as he licked the blood from his palm. "It is quite amazing," Ganondorf said, "that you managed to even scratch me. But…there is one thing that you should know. I have yet to be serious with you. Now…I think playtime is over. I'll show you a small ounce of power from the Triforce of Power!"

Ganondorf lifted his right arm and showed Ike the back of his hand. The Triforce symbol appeared on the back of his hand. The top part of the Triforce glowed brightly. Ganondorf lifted his arms above his head. He grunted as a massive light energy ball formed. He threw it at Ike with such ferocity. Ike let out a grunt as he fell down to knees. The energy ball managed to bring him down and paralyze him.

_Why? _he thought. _Why can't I move? _Ike fell on his stomach as he tried to move. Ganondorf walked over to Ike. He picked up his sword and stared at the young man.

"You are pathetic," Ganondorf said. "I don't know if I should bother killing you…but I know that if I leave you alive…you'll only be a thorn by my side. Well then…good bye, boy!" At that moment a dark shadow leapt from its hiding place and managed to move Ike out of the way from the slash. Ganondorf glared at the figure of a Gerudo woman who dressed in a pink Gerudo uniform. Her long red hair was tied together with a large jeweled scrunchie. "Nabooru…I knew you'd one day snoop around here again."

"Sorry about this, Ganondorf," Nabooru said, "but I can't let you hurt this man. Besides…I need him…to trample over your plans." Nabooru grabbed the Regal Sword and Ike then dragged him off with Ganondorf behind them. Nabooru ran through the hallway. Once she reached the exit, she jumped from the doorway then on to the roof of the next floor. "You're too slow!" Nabooru spat as she glared at Ganondorf.

"Heh…you can take the boy," Ganondorf shouted. "But if you can't see before you…the ceremony is about to begin soon."

"Damn!" Nabooru shouted.

"Z…Zelda…" Ike let out as he got up on his two feet. "Zel…da…" Ike dragged himself through the roof of the second floor as he tried to go through the window. All that was on Ike's mind was trying to find Zelda at the moment. As Ike climbed over the window, he arrived at a holding cell. Locked behind a jail cell was the body of Zelda and Lyn. "Zelda…" Ike let out as she tried to walk over to the jail cell.

At that moment, Lucario and Link arrived at the cell. Link smiled as he saw Zelda in the jail cell. "Zelda!" Link let out. "Wake up! Oh never mind that…I'll get you…" Link stopped in mid sentence as he dodged out of the way of a sword swing. Standing next to him was a rather angry Ike.

"Get away…from her!" Ike growled as his paralysis soon went away. "You dare touch her and I will kill you!"

"Ike, stop!" Lucario shouted. "Link's on our side."

"I don't believe that!"

"Believe it or not…he is on our side. Listen I know you don't trust him and neither do I…but right now, we need to get the princess out of here. Link's the only one that can open this door. So…put away your weapon."

Ike glared at Link while Link looked at him back. Both men's eyes were locked to one another. Ike hissed as he sheathed his weapon. "Fine…but I don't trust him," Ike said. "As soon as this is over…this won't be my concern anymore."

"Fine…let's just get through with this," Link said as he opened the door. He kneeled down before Zelda. "Hey…are you alright, Zel?"

Zelda let out a slight moan as she opened her eyes slightly. "L-Link?" Zelda let out.

"Silly…you should have waited for me like I planned."

"I'm…sorry…"

Ike merely glared daggers at the two. He turned away from the cell to conceal his anger as well as his jealousy.

"We have to get you out of here, Your Highness," Lucario said. "And Lyn too."

At that moment, Lyn opened her eyes. She slowly sat right up as she shook her head. "Ugh…what happened? Huh? Who healed me? Was it you guys?"

"No…it wasn't us," Lucario said. "When we arrived, you were already healed along with the princess."

"Huh…I wonder what happened?" Lyn asked. "Last time I remembered…I was fighting against Marth and…Marth!" Lyn literally jumped to her feet, grabbed her Mani Katti, and walked out of the cell.

"Where are you going?" Ike asked.

"I'm going to find him…and settle the score. If I don't come back in fifteen minutes…leave without me."

"You sure you want to do that, Lyn?"

"I'm sure! Ike…take the princess back to the castle safely." And with that, Lyn ran out from the holding cell and towards the night. Meanwhile, Link helped Zelda to her feet.

"Are you alright?" Link asked.

"I'm fine…" Zelda replied. "Thank you…thank you all for saving my life." Zelda looked over and saw the figure of Ike. She looked deep into his blue eyes and noticed only hurt and anger in them. "Ike…you came back…"

"I only came back for one reason: to stop Ganondorf. I just want to complete this job thoroughly. Once Ganondorf is dead, I'm leaving. Now…we should find the rest of the group." Zelda frowned as she felt Ike's coldness.

"Ike…" Zelda said. "There is something I wanted to tell you…"

"Save it for later," Ike replied. "Right now, we have to go save the others!"

"Let's go! I sense their auras and they seem to be in trouble." Lucario said as he grabbed Zelda. "You should stay close to me."

"Alright…I will," Zelda responded.

_End of chapter! _

_Chapter Thirteen: Falling Down_

_- "How can she trust him after all he's done to her? I thought I was her savior…but instead….I was only a replacement."_


	13. Chapter 13: Falling Down

_Hey! I'm back with another chapter. _

**A Hero's Creed**

**Chapter Thirteen: Falling Down**

The blue blur soon died down. "Wow…you guys just stood there," piped a youthful, yet cheeky voice. "Come on! Show me some action here! I've been stuck in that stupid cell for quite a while so I'm itching for some excitement!" Standing over the bed where Pit was confined, was a blue anthropomorphic hedgehog who's only articles of clothing were a pair of sneakers and gloves. His emerald colored eyes lit up as he let out a mischievous smile.

"That thing is out!" Medusa shouted.

"Thing?" The blue hedgehog spoke. "First off…the name's Sonic. Second…I'm gonna trash this place!"

"Not so fast! Vaati, get him!" Medusa shouted.

"Whatever you say…" Vaati readied himself as he attacked with magical spells. He manipulated the wind so that it cut even through stone. Sonic ran passed the assaults then jumped over to Vaati and delivered a swift kick to the wind mage. He then jumped behind him and kicked his back. Sonic ran to Vaati's side then delivered two kicks.

"Heh!" Sonic chuckled. "You're too slow!"

Before Sonic could continue his assaults, he was stopped abruptly. The blue hedgehog looked down at his feet and noticed that they were now stone. Medusa let out a hiss. "Enough is enough!" Medusa shouted. "I'm putting you back into that cell where you were be not given any meals for a week for what you've done."

At that moment, Marth walked into the room. His expressionless face was covered in blood. Medusa merely smirked as she saw her "creation" come in. "Ahh," she said, "it seems like my prized creation has arrived. Marth…dispose of all of them. Kill them all…but spare the angel and blue thing. We have no use for Samus anymore."

Marth merely twitched as he walked towards the group. Samus switched her weapon to gun mode and glared at Marth. _I know I'm going to die here, _she thought. _But as long as Link gets out of here with the princess…its worth it. I just hope King Mario and Queen Peach can forgive me for failing this mission._

Marth approached Samus. He charged up his blade as his hand shook. However, before his blade could make contact with Samus, he stopped. Samus looked directly at Marth, who in turn looked back at her, but not with his empty eyes, but with sorrowful eyes. A rogue tear trailed from his eyes to his chin. "N-no…" he said. "N-no…mo…re…" Marth let out a yell as he turned around to face Medusa and Vaati. "N-no…more…" he wheezed.

"What is his doing?" Vaati asked.

Medusa merely frowned. "It seems like his will is trying to overpower the power of the Angelus Crystal around his neck," she said. "We can't have that. You miserable human!" Medusa extended her arm. Upon doing so, Marth let out a harsh yell as he fell to his knees. He grabbed the Angelus Crystal that was on his neck and tried to pull it off, but couldn't since the device around his neck was too strong to take off. "Do you really think you can take that off with your bare hands?" Medusa asked in a harsh tone. "Listen well to me, slave! As long as you wear that stupid crystal you will obey every single order I say. I control your soul! Now go kill them!"

Marth hesitantly lifted the Falchion over his head as he rushed over to Samus. Just as he was about to slice at her, a green blur managed to kick Marth off balance. Marth skidded on the ground. Once he stopped he got up again to see Lyn holding the Mani Katti in her hands. She rushed over at Marth and delivered a quick slash at his neck. The Mani Katti managed to cut through the device, releasing Marth from his Angelus Crystal. He grabbed his neck and coughed heavily.

"I…" Marth said. "I'm…free…"

"Marth…I'm going to kill you!" Lyn shouted as she ran after Marth.

"Wait! Don't attack! Listen I have much to explain to you…just please…"

"Lyn, don't attack him!" Link shouted as he and the rest of the group arrived. "It isn't his fault…"

"It seems we have so many intruders…" Vaati spoke. "However…we do have many guards."

Vaati merely snapped his fingers. At that moment, several Gerudo guards appeared and surrounded the group. Ganondorf arrived at the scene. He merely smirked as he saw the heroes trapped like rats. "Well, well…" Ganondorf spoke, "looks like we have such a joyous reunion here. I believe I should take something that rightfully belongs to me. The Triforce of Wisdom and Courage. Your services are no longer needed Link after I take the Triforce of Courage from you."

"So…you never trusted me in the beginning…" Link said.

"Why would I trust a lackey for the princess'? I only used you…but it seems that you were using me as well. I suppose at the end…we both backstabbed each other."

"Perhaps…"

"Now…Medusa," Ganondorf said as he looked at his two assistants. "Vaati…extract the Triforce from those two!"

Medusa and Vaati extended their right arms. Bright lights emitted from their palms as they ran towards the duo and placed their hands in front of Link and Zelda. Only mere inches from them, they started to zap the two of them of their powers. Link and Zelda let out yells as they both fell down to their knees. At that moment, two daggers flew from the ceiling and landed on Medusa's and Vaati's palm. Impa jumped from the ceiling and landed near Link and Zelda. She grabbed both youths by the waists then beckoned to Lucario.

"Lucario! Takes us out of here!" She shouted.

"Right! Grab on, everyone!" Lucario barked.

Every hero grabbed onto Lucario as he used Foresight then dashed out of the fortress. Ganondorf growled in anger as he slapped Medusa and Vaati with the back of his hand. "Worthless…all of you!" he shouted.

Lucario dashed through Hyrule Field and didn't stop until he was at the entrance of the town. Exhausted from using his powers. Lucario sat down on the ground then laid on his back. Sheik kneeled down and petted Lucario's head. "Poor thing…" she said. "he's so exhausted from helping us escape. You should rest for now, Lucario."

Ike let out a sigh. Before he could approach Princess Zelda, he froze as he saw Zelda and Link talking and smiling at each other. Zelda placed a soft hand on Link's shoulder. "Link…" she said softly. "I…I always knew that you were with us. I…I'm so glad that you are alright."

"I'm glad to be back home…" Link replied as he smiled at her.

"But…it will take you…quite a while before you can even show your face entirely to the castle. Everyone there thinks of you as a traitor. To be quite frank…I'm still a bit uneasy about you…but I know that you won't do such a foolish thing like that again…correct?"

"Of course, princess."

"Link," Zelda said in a serious tone. "Promise me that you will advice me if you ever do such a thing like that again. I don't want to see you do something so rash like that ever again."

"I promise I won't do anything without your consent, Zelda." Link replied. "The least I want is for you to distrust me again."

Link hugged Zelda in turn, Zelda hugged him back. Ike merely looked away from the two of them. "How can she trust him after all he's done to her? I thought I was her savior…but instead…I was only a replacement," he said softly to himself. However, Lucario caught that. He tried to say something, but was rather too tired at the moment.

"You!" a female voice shouted. Link and Zelda released their hold on each other as they saw Lyn glaring at the frail figure of Marth. She placed the sharp tip of her sword directly on Marth's neck. "You followed us! You shouldn't be here! You don't belong here, you murderer!"

"Please…let me explain…" Marth whimpered.

"Enough talk! I'm going to kill you right now and finally avenge my tribe!"

"No! Please…don't!"

"Stop!" Link shouted as he grabbed Lyn's wrist. "Just stop for a moment! Please…listen to me. What Marth did was not his fault! He was under the influence of the Angelus Crystal. He had no control over his body."

"That doesn't excuse him for what he did! Let go of me!"

"You let go of her…" Ike said in a harsh tone. "She has every right to do what she wants. You, on the other hand, have no place to tell who's been right and who's been wrong. Now…release Lyn…or I will cut your hand off."

"Ike…" Zelda said. "What's wrong with you?"

"Do it…traitor…" Ike said, ignoring Zelda's question.

Link merely glared at Ike. "What do you know?" Link said. "You don't know the power of what these crystals do. Marth is innocent!"

"A criminal will always protect another criminal…"

"Please stop this!" Marth said. "Listen…Link…I appreciate your kindness to try to redeem my name…but only I can do that. Let go of her wrist."

"She'll kill you!" Link protested.

"It is really up to her…" Marth replied as he looked down at the ground. "I have done things that haunt me to this day. Even though I was unable to control my body…I can not deny the blood that has stained my hands. If death is what she wishes upon me…then let her have it. I will not stop her or anything. So…Lyn…you can end my life if you want. I will not stop you. A monster like myself does not deserve to live."

Link frowned as he slowly released Lyn's wrists. Lyn jerked away from Link's grasps then turned her attention to Marth. She glared at him as she prepared to slash at Marth's neck. Zelda gasped as she looked away. Samus looked down at the ground as she tried not to think of Marth's demise. However, as Lyn looked at Marth…all she could see was a frail young man. Lyn shook before she just slapped Marth with the thick part of her sword.

"You're…pathetic!" Lyn shouted as she turned away from Marth. "Just get out of my sight."

"You…are letting me live?" Marth asked.

"I said for you to get out of my sight…before I change my mind!"

"Th-thank you…kindly….though…I don't know where to go…"

"Zelda…" Link said. "Listen…I know I don't have a right to request anything but, would it be alright if Marth and Samus serve under you. Marth is a victim and Samus is her own agent. I…really wouldn't know what they would do, especially Marth."

"If…it is not too much trouble for you, Your Highness," Marth said. "At least until I can figure out which way will take me back to Altea."

"Altea?" Zelda asked. "I only heard of such rumors…isn't it destroyed?"

"Yes…Altea was my home. It is the only place I can go back to."

Zelda looked over to Samus. "What about you?" she asked.

"I don't have a home," Samus replied. "Never actually did. I'm a bounty hunter so I work only for myself. Ganondorf was paying good money so I took that job. Now since I'm unemployed the only thing I can do is look for a new job. Don't know how long that will take. Not to mention since I left abruptly, I didn't get my last pay. I have no money."

"You see, Zelda?" Link asked. "They need our help more than anyone right here."

"Well…" Zelda said. "I don't know. I would like to know everyone's opinion about this. Ike…what do you think?"

"I think all three of them should leave. Or at least Link and Samus," Ike retorted coldly. "I don't blame Marth for what he's done…that is if what he said was true. But in the end…its all up to you…Princess."

Zelda quivered a bit. "Um…Sheik…what do you think?"

Sheik eyed the three newcomers. "Hmm…it's really difficult for me to decide…but I suppose we should trust them," Sheik said. "Link has always helped us…so we should help him."

"Lucario?"

"Wh-whatever is fine with me…" Lucario replied.

"Lyn?"

"If you have them stay," Lyn said, "I will never communicate or even get close to Marth. If he does one wrong move, one step backwards, I will end his life…permanently!" Marth lowered his head as he looked away from Lyn. Still covering himself in shame, Marth would do his best not to mess with Lyn.

"Impa?" Zelda asked.

"It is really up to you, Your Highness," Impa replied. "What you make as a decision I will back up to my fullest."

"What about the rest of you guys?" Zelda asked.

"Pit will be okay, because Pit will protect Zelda," Pit replied.

"Hey, I know we barely met and all…" Sonic said, "but I've known Link, Samus, and Marth for a while now. Whenever I was confined to that dark cell, they were the only ones who came in and brought me food and kept me company. They made sure that I didn't have anymore experiments on me. I know these three are good people! Honest!"

Zelda closed her eyes and thought long and hard. On one hand, Link was a close friend of hers who did his best to protect her and risked his life to save her. Him and the other two needed her help to recuperate what they had lost. On the other hand, Ike and Lyn were unpleased with them join up with them. She knew that Ike's trust in her, if he had any trust left in her, was strained. She didn't know if there was any way to heal their relationship.

"I…have made my decision," Zelda said. "Link…Marth…Samus…you three have done much harm to our kingdom as well as my friends. The trust my people once had for you is deeply strained…but I can not abandon any of you. If you wish to stay here, you're going to have a lot to do in order to redeem yourself, Link. Even though…I forgive you."

"Do you…truly wish that, Princess Zelda?" Link asked.

"Yes…I can not stay angry with you."

"Alright…we will try our best to redeem ourselves. We…give you our lives."

Samus merely looked stoic. "I suppose I have new work now," she merely replied.

"Thank you, Princess Zelda," Marth said as he bowed before Zelda. "I don't know how to repay you for this kindness."

"It is my pleasure, Marth." Zelda smiled at Marth. "I think we should all head over to the castle courtyard. We need to regroup."

"That would be great," Sonic said, "there is only one problem. Both Samus and I have our feet in stone."

"Oh! Pit will help you!" Pit walked over to Sonic and cured him of his petrifaction. Once he was done with Sonic, he walked over and healed Samus.

Ike wasn't liking any of this. At this point, he wasn't too sure if he'd stay and help. _This isn't my problem anymore, _he thought. _I think she has enough help for now. _However, the blue haired mercenary followed the entire group. Once they were in the courtyard, Zelda tapped her foot lightly on the stairs of the courtyard. "Alright," she said. "We need to figure out what is our plan to stop Ganondorf. What was that dark red aura?"

"That was Medusa's Red Moon Eclipse spell," Samus spoke. "You see…Medusa wasn't going to be able to extract the Triforce of Wisdom and Courage unless with the effects of the red moon. The red moon itself won't appear for a while. So using most of her power, she was able to create a spell which covers the Gerudo Fortress in a dark red aura. The effects will only last for about two weeks. Meaning that they will stop at nothing to take Zelda back to the fortress."

"Why just Zelda and not Link?" Sheik asked.

"Think about it. If Zelda is kidnapped, Ganondorf is expecting Link to come get her. He'd kill two birds with one stone."

"Then we must do something about this!" Zelda said. "And we have three agents who know a lot about the fortress. We'll just wait until the effects of the Red Moon are gone, then we will storm the fortress and defeat Ganondorf! I'll just need to count on all of you to help me. Can I trust in your full allegiance?"

"You know I'll always be here for you," Sheik said, "you should know me by now."

"Whatever you wish, I shall help you," Impa replied.

"I might be new to the gang, but I'm willing to protect you!" Sonic chirped. "Besides, it's a good chance to kick Ganondorf's sorry butt!"

"Pit will protect Zelda for Palutena's sake!" Pit said as he bowed to Zelda.

"You did a lot for me, its only fair that I return the favor," Lyn responded with a smile.

"You know I'm always here for you," Link replied.

"Well…you are my new boss," Samus responded.

"You have…given me a place to stay," Marth said, "it is only fair that I help you in your time of need."

Zelda smiled slightly at everyone's pledges. However, one pledge was left unheard. She looked over at Ike with a serene smile. It was the same smile she would give to him. However, realization hit her. She remembered that she needed to apologize to Ike about what she told him. "Um…Ike?" Zelda said. "Can I…talk to you in private?"

"I suppose," Ike replied.

Zelda excused himself from the courtyard and walked into the garden. Ike followed the princess in a somber mood. He tried his best not to think about Link at the moment. Once they were out of ear's shot. Zelda stopped and looked at Ike. Her eyes were soft and grief stricken. She cleared her throat. "Ike," Zelda said in a soft tone. "I know we have been through a lot. What…I've been wanting to say to you…for the longest time…is that…"

"Save it," Ike said.

"Wh-what?"

"I don't want to hear it. I probably wouldn't comprehend what you would tell me. After all…I'm nothing more than a filthy Beorc…correct?"

"What?" Zelda let out. "N-no! That's not what I meant! Please…if you let me…"

"No! I've had enough…there is no place for me. I've done my year of training…and I'm leaving with a recommendation or not from you! I'm going home."

"Ike! Wait!"

"Let him go, princess…" Link replied. "After all…he never was completely loyal to you…was he?"

Upon hearing those words, Ike stopped in his tracks. "Loyalty? Look who's talking. Let me tell you something about loyalty…Link. For the past year, I had to put up with everyone's crap. I fought fiercely just to keep the princess safe. And I was NOT paid for it in full. I did everything just to make sure that she was safe for another day! I trained rigorously and had to learn techniques that YOU learned while everyone was comparing me to you every day I was here. And yet, not once did I ever, EVER backstab the princess at all. Yet you, on the other hand, the most trusted hero didn't tell anyone of your plan and hence you just lied to the princess! So don't give me a lecture about loyalty, because I have done my services well. And now…I'm leaving. My services end here! So go back to kissing your harlot underneath the princess nose, because that's all you're good for…being dishonest."

Link clenched his fist. "Don't you…DARE call Samus a harlot!" Link yelled. "The only one who's sold himself out was you."

Ike slowly turned around. His face was locked on the ground, leaving Link a bit baffled. However, in the next second, it all happened in a blur. Ike quickly delivered a swift punch at Link's face and knocked the elf off from his feet an on the ground. Link started to bleed from his nose. However, the Hylian hero was only angered by this and attacked Ike fiercely as he pounced on him and started to beat on him. Both men were now locked into a battle of fists.

Zelda shouted for both of them to stop, but her cries fell on deaf ears. Impa and the others ran over to where the brawl was taking place and were shocked. Pit tried to calm them down, but nothing happened. It had to take Impa, Lyn, Marth, and Sheik all together to pull Ike and Link away from each other. Both of them struggled to get free from their grasps, but couldn't.

"That's enough! Both of you!" Impa shouted. "What's wrong with both of you? You're behaving like beasts!"

Finally, Ike managed to get out of Impa's grasp. "Whatever," he said. "I've had enough now! I'm going home…" Ike started to leave the courtyard.

"Ike…wait," Sheik said.

Ike didn't bother to stop or even look at anyone. He left the castle and wondered off through the town market. Before he would leave, he should at least try to say good bye to Malon. After all, she seemed to be the only friend he had at the moment. Ike strolled down through the town and visited every place he could think of. He bought the items that everyone had requested him for then left the town market swiftly.

Outside of Hyrule, a group of mercenaries reached the edge of the field. Greil smiled as he looked at the land. "It took us a while…but we finally reached Hyrule," he chuckled. "I suppose we are close to the town market, are we not, Mr. Happy Mask Salesman guy?"

"Oh…yes, we are almost there," the Happy Mask Salesman replied. "Once we reach Hyrule, I shall pay you."

"Then we better not keep you waiting. Company, march!"

Greil's mercenaries continued their march towards the castle town. It took them almost the entire day to reach the gate, which was close into closing. "Hmm…this must be the castle town…we'll just…" at the moment, Greil stopped and noticed a very familiar figure walking towards him. "Ike?"

"Father?" Ike asked. "Father, what are you doing here?"

"I was about to ask you the same thing."

"Ike!!" Mist shouted as she hugged Ike tightly. "Ike, I missed you!"

"I missed you too, Mist," Ike replied as he hugged Mist back.

"Tell me, boy…what happened," Greil said.

"It's a long story…"

"I…think we should head into town now…before the gate closes," The Happy Mask Salesman said.

"Sounds like a good idea," Greil replied. "Let's all go in."

After the mercenaries sent off the Happy Mask Salesman to his store, they all got rooms at the local inn. Greil, Ike, Mist, and Soren were talking in one room. At that moment, Ike told Greil everything that happened from the beginning all the way before he arrived.

_End of chapter! _

_Chapter Fourteen: Loving Her_

_- "I love her…but…"_


	14. Chapter 14: Loving Her

_Hey! I'm back with another chapter. I hope everyone's ready for the drama! XD_

_Oh...and congradulations to Link Guru for being the 100th review! Thanks so much! So this chapter goes out especially to you. And I would like to thank all the reviewers out there especially people like Gamerswordsman, iChocolove, Bluetoad, bankai179, Samus 117, H-bomber,and many more for being dedicated into reading and reviewing this fic. And more importantly, I would like to thank my roommate, Jcomics for being the number one fan of this fic. Thank you so much for all these reviews! And now here is the special chapter, Chapter 14. Enjoy!_

**A Hero's Creed**

**Chapter Fourteen: Loving Her**

Greil let out a grunt as he glared at his son. He decided to keep his thoughts to himself. Since it was late at night, he decided not to talk to Ike about this situation. He advised everyone to go to sleep. Morning came after, in which Ike was up before everyone else. He polished his Regal Sword as he waited for everyone to get ready. Once Mist had gotten ready, she ran out into the town market and looked around. "Wow," she said. "This place looks amazing! What do you think, Rolf?"

"It looks cool…" Rolf agreed. "I've never seen so many people with pointy ears."

A Hylian man looked at the pair of children. "You lost, kids?"

"Oh…" Mist responded. "I…we're not lost. We're just looking around."

"Well…well…aren't you a cute pair of humans. You know…perhaps you should talk to some of the people here to get to know them. After all…Hylians do like humans." The Hylian smirked at the children then left as he talked with his companion. They spoke in their own dialect. Mist and Rolf couldn't understand any words except for the word "human".

"I guess he's a strange one," Mist said.

"I wonder why he keeps saying the word 'human'." Rolf added in. "I mean…we're Beorc."

Soren glared at the pair of Hylians. He walked over to them and tapped their shoulders. "Listen…I don't appreciate it you calling these children 'humans'," Soren said in a dark tone. "You better apologize."

The pair of Hylians merely spoke in Hylian, trying to say that they didn't understand him.

"I know you two can understand me and talk in standard New Tongue!" Soren shouted. "You know what…it isn't worth talk to you filthy elves…"

Upon saying the word "elves", the two Hylians glared at Soren. One Hylian, who was a young man with red hair stepped up against Soren. "What did you call us?" He asked.

"Oh…I'm sorry…" Soren chided. "I guess you elves can't understand well. So…I'll put it to you bluntly. Filthy…elves!"

The second Hylian sneered at him and grabbed the mage by his black tunic. "You better take that back…human scum," he barked.

"I wouldn't waste my breath to apologize to filthy elves that do not deserve any ounce of respect," Soren scowled.

"That's it! You're going to…" the second Hylian youth pulled back his arm and was about to punch Soren when a strong hand grasped his wrist. Ike hardly used any of his strength to bring down the Hylian to his knees.

"Let…him…go," Ike hissed in a dark tone. Soren and the others had never seen Ike in such a sour mood. However, the Hylian knew not to mess with Ike. He cowered in fear and released Soren. The Hylian whimpered as he stared into Ike's icy, blue eyes. No longer were they the sunny sky blue eyes, but rather the dark, angered ocean shade. Ike released the Hylian. "Not worth my time," he commented. The two Hylians scurried off away from Ike in a cowardly fashion. Soren walked over to Ike and smiled.

"Well done Ike," Soren added in. "You did show those filthy elves something."

"Please…" Ike said, "Don't say that word. In fact…I don't want to even remember I was here."

"Oh…of course."

Mist, on the other hand, wasn't too happy with Ike's performance. She worried about her brother more than anything. And at the moment, she knew that there was something wrong. Ike was not violent to normal citizens. He usually was tolerant of people, however, it seemed like he couldn't stand the sight of Hylians. She wondered for a moment. _Did the Hylians treat him bad…? _she thought. _So far, he's only spoken about Princess Zelda._

Greil checked out from the inn a while back and saw Ike's actions. Much like Mist, he was concerned about his only son. Titania, his loyal companion, shook her head. "This is not like him…" Titania said.

"I better have a talk with him," Greil commented. "I think something about that princess is what's setting him off."

"You think it's the princess' fault?"

"Why else would he be this bitter? I asked him if I could talk to her and he refuse to go anywhere near the castle. All he wants to do is go home. He didn't care about the recommendation I asked or anything. You know that the most important thing to Ike is to be worthy of taking over for me. I knew he'd want to leave with a letter from the princess to hand over to me."

"What do you purpose we should do?" Titania asked.

"…I'm going to talk to him," Greil said in a somber tone. The great axe wielder approached his son. His stern blue eyes were locked onto the smaller yet strong body. He placed one strong had on Ike's shoulders. "Ike!" Boomed Greil's voice. "We need to talk."

"About what, Father?" Ike replied, not looking at his father.

"About your attitude about things here…"

"Listen…I don't want to hear about it. I've made my decision. I want to leave. I mean, we probably need to head back to Crimea and hope for work to come. After all…I only came here to train for a year and I've been one month overdue."

"That's not what I wanted to talk about," Greil turned Ike around so he could see him face to face. Ike merely tried to look away from his father. "Ike…look at me. I need your full attention, boy!"

Ike looked at his father. His eyes were still as cold as ice.

"Tell me…" Greil said. "What happened that made you so sour."

Ike let out a sigh as he closed his eyes. "I…there was the princess," he said.

"Go on."

"The princess…Zelda and I we were…at least I thought we were…in love. I…gave my life for her. I did all I could to make sure that she was safe. But at the end…she only used me to get back her actual hero. The one who's fooling around with another woman. I thought perhaps that I was someone important in her life…but I was only fooling myself." Ike shivered a bit. He bit his lip as he remembered everything that happened. He didn't want to show any sighs of depression to his father.

Greil's stern look turned into a gentle one as he saw his son in a feeble mood.

"I don't know why I fooled myself…" Ike replied. "She's a beautiful, Hylian princess…and I'm…just a Beorc mercenary. I was foolish to think that Hylian and Beorc could get along, but I was wrong. There…is nothing I could do. I'm an idiot…"

"Ike…" Greil said in a soft, yet strong voice. Ike looked at his father. Greil smiled at his son before he punched him in the face. Ike fell on the ground. He placed his hand on his cheek as he felt the stung of his father's fist. Mist, Titania, Soren, and Rolf saw the display and ran to Ike's aid.

"Dad!" Mist shouted as she knelled next to Ike. "What's wrong with you? Why did you punch Ike?!"

"Commander, what's the meaning of this?" Titania asked.

"Ike!" Greil shouted. "What is the meaning of all this? It is not you to mope around! What was the one thing I said about a mercenary's job?!"

"Th-that…a mercenary always gets a job done and gets their reward," Ike said.

"Then tell me, boy! Why haven't you gotten your pay?"

"I did…I have the money…"

"Not all rewards are gold and gems! A mercenary should go to any lengths to get what he wants." Greil knelled down and looked Ike directly into his eyes. "You love the girl, don't you?"

"I love her…but…" Ike looked away.

"No buts!" Greil took a hold of Ike's chin and turned him to look at him. "And answer like a man! What's this weak ass answer of yours?! You don't sound like you're very sure you love this girl."

"Yes, Father! I love her!"

"Then…what are you waiting for?" Greil asked as he got up from the ground and crossed his arms. "The castle is over there and I'm sure she's still in the castle."

"…What if she doesn't want to see me?" Ike asked.

"Ike…a woman will always want to hear an explanation from the one they love. If she truly loves you, she will hear you out. Now…go to the castle and talk to her."

"Yes…Father." Ike got up from the ground. He dusted himself off as he walked towards the castle. Greil, Titania, Soren, Mist, and Rolf followed the blue haired mercenary. Once they were inside of the castle, Mist couldn't help but admire the magnitude of the castle. Rolf, too, was amazed. Both children giggled as they looked at the tapestries. Titania smiled as she watched over the children. Soren, on the other hand, wasn't too happy to be in a Hylian castle. He didn't like them and they didn't like Beorc like himself.

Out in the courtyard, Sheik sighed as she looked into the water. Ever since Ike had left, she was rather depressed. Pit had to try his hardest to get her to smile, but even when he did, it would simply vanish soon after. Tension still was up between Lyn and Marth. Lyn always was alert whenever Marth did any sudden movements. Marth was too afraid to move at times. He didn't want to do anything wrong in resulting his immediate death. If Lyn wanted to kill him, he would not fight back. Even though Marth tried to talk to Lyn, the green haired Sacean refused to answer back.

"Poor Marth…" Samus commented as she and Link walked through the garden. "That woman doesn't seem to let up."

"She just doesn't understand him as we do," Link replied. "If she knew…what powers those crystals had, she wouldn't be that harsh to him. Though, at the moment, I'd be more concerned about Zelda. Ever since that jerk left, she's been locked up in her room, refusing to come out. I don't see why the princess bothered to love that creep. Its not like he ever had the capacity to be grateful for it. He just left."

"Still…"

Lucario, who was sitting on the roof of the castle, perked up his ears. His dark crimson eyes widen as he sensed a familiar aura. "Ike?" he asked as he jumped from the roof and landed in the courtyard. He closed his eyes and lifted his paw. Sure enough, Ike's aura was in the castle. "So…he's still here."

"Huh?" Sheik let out. "Who is?"

"Hey!" Sonic chirped as he looked through the window. "Ike's back! He's in the castle!"

"Ike?!" Sheik got up from the ground and went over to the window. Pit, Lyn, and Marth approached the window and sure enough, they saw Ike walking down the hallway. Ike looked over at the window and saw his friends. He smiled softly at them before he continued on his way to Zelda's chamber.

Zelda rested her head on Impa's lap. She had already finished crying and didn't want to waste anymore tears. Impa sighed as she caressed the princess' hair. She knew it was tough on the princess and she had no words on the matter. This was something Zelda had to cope on her own. At that moment, someone knocked on the door. Impa looked at Zelda who merely didn't respond.

Instead, Zelda got off from Impa's lap and walked over to the window. She looked out from it. "I don't want to see anyone…" Zelda spoke softly. "Please…tell me to leave, Impa."

"Alright…" Impa responded. "As you wish…Your Highness." Impa approached the door and opened it. She was surprised to see who it was. Despite Zelda's orders, she had to allow this one to talk to her. Impa left the room and closed the door behind her. Zelda sighed as she heard the door closed.

"Thank you, Impa…" Zelda said. "You know, Impa…it isn't easy. I…I always wanted to say that I am happy here…pampered…sheltered…and being able to have what I want. I am most fortunate to be a princess and live my life as one."

Ike's heart dropped as he heard her say those words. He frowned as he placed a hand on the door knob.

"But…" Zelda responded. "I would be lying…"

Ike looked over at Zelda.

"I despise my life. I didn't want this life. Even though I have the political power to make a difference…what's the point of it when no one listens to you? I want what's best for my people…but should I really sacrifice everything I hold dear…just to save face? I…I lost the one I loved dearly…the one who made me feel…like an actual princess. One who…never looked at me as a royal…but as an equal. He actually saw me…as just a Hylian. I don't think I'd ever find someone like that again. Perhaps…it is better this way. He needs to be free…not cooped up in a place like this. Perhaps some people are capable of having love. I…am certainly not one of them."

"You could be…" Ike said. "If you wanted to."

Zelda froze as she hear his voice. Slowly, she turned around to meet with Ike. "This…isn't a dream…is it?" she asked herself.

Ike looked at the ground before he smiled at her. He walked over to Zelda and placed a hand on her cheek. "Is that real enough?" he asked. "Or do you want more proof?"

Zelda slowly moved her hand over to where Ike had his hand and touched him lightly. She gasped lightly as she felt the warm flesh beneath her touch. A single tear fell from her eyes. "Ike…I…I am so sorry…" she whimpered. However, Ike shook his head and held her tightly. He caressed her long, blond locks as he shushed her.

"No…" he said. "If anyone should apologize…it should be me. I now understand what happened. And…now I understand that you do care…as much I care about you. Zelda…I love you."

"Ike…" Zelda whimpered as she held him tightly. "Please stay with me."

Ike closed his eyes. "Sure thing…I'll stay with you. I'll stay with you…as long as you like."

"Then…you wouldn't leave."

"Then I won't leave. It's as simple as that."

Ike chuckled lightly as he kissed Zelda's forehead lightly. Zelda look at him but then buried her face within his chest.

"I must look hideous," Zelda commented.

"You, hideous?" Ike asked. "Never. I'd never find the most beautiful woman to be hideous."

"What?" Zelda tilted her head so she could see Ike.

Ike gently used one of his fingers to push back any rogue hairs that covered Zelda's face. "You're the most beautiful woman I have ever seen…and I wouldn't lie to you. Though I have to admit…you look even more beautiful if you smiled."

Zelda giggled lightly as she smiled at Ike. She hugged him tightly and sighed. _I'm so glad you're back, _she thought. _You don't know how happy…this made me. Just to have you by my side. I just wish that this moment could last forever. I wish that I would smile forever, knowing that you would be here smiling back. _

Outside of Zelda's door, Greil's group and Impa's group were listening to ever word Ike and Zelda were saying. Mist sighed lovingly as she thought Ike and Zelda's romance seemed something out of a storybook. Sheik smiled warmly as Pit hugged Sheik and smiled as well. Greil nodded in approval of his son's choice. The only one who didn't seem too happy about the mercenary and princess' reunion was Link. Link frowned as he looked at the floor.

"You don't look to happy…" Samus said.

"…" Link didn't bother to respond.

Samus rolled her eyes as she pinched Link's arm.

"Ow!" Link let out as he massaged his arm.

"Don't be stubborn. I know you're quite pissed."

"I just…" Link said. "I just hope…he treats her right."

"Treats her right?" Greil asked. "Listen…if you don't know my boy by now. Then you really do have to doubt anything. Ike is a great lad who would willingly give his life up for the ones he cares about. I've never seen him more determined to protect anyone like this princess. If you don't believe me on his feelings towards her…why don't you open your blue eyes and look at how happy they are together."

"Don't take it so hard on Link," Impa said. "Ike and him have had one fight after another. I think what they need to do is apologize to each other for their behaviors."

At that moment, Ike had opened the door of Zelda's room. He and Zelda looked at the group of eavesdroppers and vice versa. Ike glared at everyone while Zelda hid behind Ike in embarrassment. Sheik giggled slightly. "You know…everyone knows about your little relationship," Sheik commented. "So drop the shy act, Your Highness and be proud to have found love."

"I know that…" Zelda responded. "I…am just not used to this."

"Ike…" Impa said. "I think there is something you have to tell someone and he has to tell you something too." Impa pushed Link in front of Ike. Both youths glared at each other. Zelda merely tugged at Ike's tunic to get his attention.

"Ike…please," Zelda said. "I know you and Link have a lot in common and I know if you two work together…you'd be really good friends."

Ike closed his eyes as he sighed. He didn't want to apologize to Link since he thought Link was in the wrong while Link didn't want to apologize to Ike since he attacked him first.

"Listen…" Link said softly. "I don't like you…nor do you like me…but for the princess' sake…we have to work together."

"You're right…" Ike responded. "We should settle aside our differences to help Hyrule."

"So…I…apologize."

"No…it should be I who should apologize."

"There! Now everything is settled!" Greil said. "We will no longer bring up the subject which caused you two to fight. As for now…I think I should introduce myself to the princess." Greil bowed before Zelda. "My Lady…I am Greil, Commander of the Greil mercenaries and Ike's father."

"A pleasure to meet you, sir." Zelda curtsied for Greil as she extended her hand to him. Greil took Zelda's hand and kissed it lightly.

"I can see why Ike likes you a lot," Greil commented. "You're quite courteous around people like us."

"I would like to greet visitors from foreign lands wonderfully. I am a prime example of what my people should be. I would for all of you to feel comfortable here."

"We already are comfortable. Well then Ike," Greil turned his attention to his son. "After what you told me about her…and the situation at hand, what do you plan to do?"

"I…I would like to stay and help Zelda," Ike responded. "I can't let anything happen to her."

"Very well…Your Highness," Greil spoke. "Would you hire my full services?"

"Hire you?" Zelda asked.

"You have Ike…and he is my son. I'm sure he's done a good job at protecting you…but if you hire our full services, you'll get the entire mercenary group. From me to little Rolf. Of course…payment will be different."

"Of course…" Zelda replied. "I will hire your services and you will be paid handsomely."

"Wonderful! Then I suppose our first mission is to protect you from any upcoming attacks then. Hmm…for the time being…we need to find a place to put as our base."

"I know a place where your group may stay," Impa spoke. "I have a house in Kakariko Village in which you and your mercenary group may stay."

"How much do we pay?" Greil asked.

"Nothing at all…just be sure to do your job."

"Hmm…I thank you on behalf of the Greil mercenaries."

"Very well…" Impa said. "I appreciate it. Now…if you can…may you follow me to your temporary home? I shall hand over the key to you. Ike already has one and so does Sheik."

"Alright…Ike," Greil said. "Stay here and protect the princess on our behalf. I'll be back later. I'll just advice the others of our new home."

"Very well, Commander," Ike saluted his father as he left the castle along with Mist, Titania, Rolf, and Soren. The rest of the afternoon, Zelda's guardians had spent it in the courtyard. Now with Zelda in a better mood and Ike's return, everyone relaxed a little more. Zelda drank tea from her tea cup. Lyn looked at her tea cup and then at the princess.

"I don't think I can get used to this," Lyn said.

"Oh…don't worry about it," Zelda said. "There's nothing to it."

"I don't think I can learn all of these new rules. I mean…I am in prime."

"Prime? You? How old are you? You don't look any older than myself. You seem like you're nineteen or something."

"Princess…hehe…you're too kind on words," Lyn added in. "But…I'm much older than nineteen."

"Twenty?"

"Your Highness…I'm twenty-seven."

"Twenty-seven?"

"Yes…I may not look like it. Not to mention you'd wouldn't believe me if I told you I had a child."

"You…had a child?!" Zelda let out.

"Yes…I had a child," Lyn added in.

"Oh…so…he passed away…"

"No, he's fine. In fact…he's living with his father as we speak."

"Why…are you here…instead of with your family? Surely your husband must be worried."

Lyn looked at Zelda and smiled, but not a serene one…but rather a false one. "'My husband'…that's a new one," Lyn said. "It was not meant to be. He came from a long line of royal blood and I came from a line of 'savage' blood as you may call it. We went on a journey to stop a great evil. Along the way…he and I…became romantically involved. I conceived our child and was brought to his land. However…I hid in secret away from the world. I handed over the child to him…mostly because our romance could not be. The other lords wouldn't allow it. In the end…he married another…and she raised the boy to be her own. She passed away…so now the child has no recollection of who his mother is."

"That's horrible…" Zelda said. "Aren't you going to go back and tell your child that you're his mother? Or try to marry your partner?"

"If I were that simple…I would." Lyn added in. "My tribe has been killed off…my lands were taken…my grandfather…who was a Lycian lord passed away and since I did not claim Caelin as my birthright, the lands were taken away from me and given to Lord Ostia. I'm sure Lord Ostia is doing a better job at taking care of them then I would have. I have no claim to anything anymore…hence I'm only seen as a savage in their eyes."

"But…I'm sure your beau wouldn't have thought anything of it."

"You're right…" Lyn replied. "Eliwood wouldn't have cared for he is my mate. But…I can not destroy all that he's done for his family. That is why I can not face him and I can not jeopardize his entire bloodline. If the other Lycian nobles found out that Roy is my son and not Ninian's…he would be an outcast. I let Roy at least have a chance at a good life. It is for the best…"

"Lyn…I didn't know. I…am so sorry," Zelda said.

"Don't be. It was my decision. The only regret is that I can't see my son. He must be ten by now."

As Zelda and Lyn continued their talk, Ike and Link were situated on the steps. Due to Zelda's orders, the boys were suppose to get to know each other and hopefully get along. What did happen was only their silence. Neither of them wanted to do anything with the other.

"Why are you here?" Link asked Ike to finally break the ice. "You're not a Hylian…you're not a prince…you're not anything. Yet you stay here…"

"I'm just a mercenary," Ike replied. "Nothing more."

"You're pretty dedicated for a mercenary. I never met one who didn't think much about money."

"Money is important…but I don't care just about money all the time. What about you? How did Zelda hire you?"

"I'm not a mercenary…" Link replied. "I work for free."

"What?"

"Yeah…I work for free. I'm doing this because of a prophecy. I know you'll laugh at me…but I've had the same dreams Zelda has been having for a long time. And when I saw Ganondorf…I knew they were true. I'm doing this…because it is destiny."

"Is that all you have? As in…you're only working for free because of a prophecy?"

Link glared at Ike. "See? I told you, that you'd laugh at me. Oh…why do I bother to talk to you?"

"I wasn't mocking you," Ike replied. "Just that…what do you do for a living?"

"Just stay here and guard Zelda. Even though I work for free…Zelda insists on paying me. Usually I just manage since the world if my platter. I can easily just eat the apples from the trees, drink the milk from the cows, fish, and sleep out anywhere as long as I have a sword and shield ready. I pretty much manage without money most of the time. I guess that's the way I've been since the day I was born. I pretty much had to fend for myself."

"Didn't you…have any parents?" Ike asked.

"No…I didn't. I don't know who my father is…and according to the Great Deku Tree, my mother died protecting me. She ran all the way into the forest while the war went on and died in front of the tree. It was then that I knew my name for my mother spoke of it when she handed me over to the Great Deku Tree. Since then…I've been on my own. I did stay in the Kokiri Forest until I was eight then I left and worked for Zelda since then. It's been…nine years. Almost an entire decade."

"Wow…I didn't know you had it that rough…" Ike said.

"Don't worry much about it. I'm sure you've done your fair share."

"Yeah…I have. So…what about that girl you hang around with?"

"What girl?"

"The one with the long blond hair."

"Oh…you mean Samus?" Link said. "She's a special case, I'd tell you that. She never does speak much to anyone. She's a hard to talk to person and normally she doesn't like anyone."

"How is it that you like her?" Ike asked.

"Heh…you don't know how much more valuable love is when you have to work for it. Zelda is easy to gain trust with. But with Samus…it takes work. It took me about seven months to gain her trust so she can tell me her back story. I remember when we were working for Ganondorf…"

"So…you want to join my legion?" Ganondorf asked. "Why is that? Why would one of Zelda's dogs be interested in siding with me? Unless…there is a catch."

"My Lordship…" Link said as he bowed before Ganondorf. "I merely wish to serve you. The princess is weak. The war in which Hyrule had participated took the lives of both my parents. I was orphaned and left to fend for myself. If what I heard is true…you wish to make a paradise for all. One in which everyone would be happy. All I wish…in return is to avenge my parents…but taking revenge on the Hyrulean Royal Family."

Ganondorf merely smirked at Link. "Very well…dog," he chuckled. "You may join. You are to be partnered up with Samus. Like you, Samus is a hired hand who wishes to do my bidding. Go now. I will summon you if I need you. You there! Woman…take this brat to his resting quarters."

"Very well, Your Grace," Link got up from the ground and walked down the hallways. He was lead by a Gerudo warrior. The Gerudo wasn't too pleased with Link, however, she did lead him to his new room.

"This will be your room," she said in a somber tone. "I will be sure to call Samus to see you." Without another word, the Gerudo guard left Link. Link looked around in his new room and cringed. The entire room smelled heavily of blood, as if someone was murdered in that very room. A cold chill raised up Link's spine as he thought about his death in this room. He knew he shouldn't mess this up…but what if this was all a set up and that Ganondorf was only setting him up so he could murder him.

At that moment, a lone figure walked into the room. Link turned around to see a young woman with long, blond hair which was tied together in a ponytail. Link let out a sigh as he looked at this new Gerudo woman. However, the way she was dressed was different from the others. She had a tight, blue body suit which showed off every curve in her body. What was really eye boggling was the bright pink glow that was right above her left breast. Her skin was milky white, lighter than a Gerudo's skin. Her sea green eyes shimmered lightly in the dim light. She looked unlike anyone woman he had seen before.

"Um…" Link said.

"What are you staring at?" Samus asked in a harsh tone.

"I…uh…am waiting…" Link said. His eyes never left Samus' figure.

Samus, on the other hand, didn't like Link staring at her. The way she perceived his looks seemed like he were busy ogling at her body, when in reality, Link was just amazed at her beauty. He thought she was probably the prettiest Gerudo woman he'd seen. "Will you quit staring at me and tell me what you want!" Samus barked.

"Oh…I'm sorry!" Link replied. "It's just that…I'd never…seen a Gerudo like you."

"…what?"

"I mean…most Gerudo women are dark skinned and such…but you're skin is very light. Not to mention…I think…you're the prettiest Gerudo here." Link scratched his head in embarrassment.

Samus didn't take it nicely. _What's with this guy? _she thought. _First he stares at my chest and then he calls me a Gerudo! And he flirted with me! Ugh! All men are the same here!_ Samus stalked over to Link in a dark manner. She pushed him against the stone wall and glared at him. Link's smile vanished as he was now up against the wall. He couldn't help but let out a slight blush. "Listen to me…" Samus growled. "And listen to me well, long ears. I am NOT a Gerudo. I'm Samus Aran…space bounty hunter. I don't know what custom it is over in this filthy, primitive land to stare at people, but back where I'm from…women don't stand for this type of crap! Now…you better get one thing straight, long ears! I am NOT going to be an easy score for you! I won't like you…not one bit! You're not my 'friend' you're not my 'boyfriend' you're not anything! You're just my pitiful partner in which I had to have for some reason. Now…if you dare to lay one very inappropriate hand on me…I will break it. And if you so much as look at me the way you did just now I will gouge your eyes out and feed them to the wolves. Do you understand me?!"

Link swallowed the spit that was in his mouth as he shook his head nervously. "Y-yes…" he replied.

"Good!" Samus shouted as she released her hold on Link and walked out of his room.

Link shivered a bit as Samus left. He finally breathed in as he slumped to the ground. "Great…first day on the job and I'm already threatened by my own partner…" he said. "I wonder if what I did was a good idea?"

The rest of the months didn't go so smoothly for Link. Try as he may he couldn't appease Samus. He first tried to avoid her in anyway. It wasn't until one night while he was walking around the fortress that he saw her slender figure walk off into the middle of the night. Curiosity caught the best of Link and so he followed her like a lost little puppy would to a child. Eventually, Samus arrived at a clearing in the desert. She sat down on the ground and pulled out a strange device which looked like some sort of a disk. She placed it on the ground and pushed the button on it.

"This is Samus Aran…" she spoke to it. "This is another transmission. I don't know if you'll ever get to hear these messages, but I will tell you straight forward. As you already have known I have infiltrated Ganondorf's fortress like asked to. It was hard to fool him, but I did it. A new recruit has arrived and knows about the princess. I dare not want to speak with him…but he could provide useful information about Hyrule Castle.

"I must, under any circumstances, allow him to harm Castle Hyrule, like you asked. If Castle Hyrule were to fall…so will the Mushroom Kingdom. I have ascended to the ranks and I need one more rank in order to actually be able to get into the laboratory where the Angelus Crystals are made. I will monitor more and hopefully be able to stop the Angelus Crystal trade so that no more crystals will be sold to King Bowser Koopa. This is Samus Aran…over and out." Samus pushed the tiny button and turned off the device.

"So you're a spy…" Link said as he approached Samus. Samus turned around, whipped out her gun and pointed it at Link. "Wait a minute!" Link shouted as he raised his hands in the air. "Please…don't shoot me with that weird device. I just wanted to talk."

"Liar…" Samus walked over to Link and patted him down for any weapons. Once she found out that he was clean of anything she pushed him on the ground and kept her gun pointed at him. "Why did you follow me?"

"I was curious to see where you went…" Link replied. "I didn't mean to."

"Shut up! Now you know the secret about me. How much did you hear?!"

"Ev…everything…"

Samus cocked her gun.

"Wait!" Link shouted. "I'll keep it a secret! I promise."

"How can I trust you? You're a dog of Ganondorf now. How do I know you won't run off to tell him about my plans once I let you go alive."

"Trust me…" Link said. "I'm here to protect Zelda. I joined Ganondorf's ranks to infiltrate and find out his weakness. I am loyal to Zelda and Zelda only. If you don't believe me…if I run off to Ganondorf, I will let you…and only you kill me. I won't fight back either. The choice is yours. But what I say…is true."

"Fine…" Samus said as she pulled the gun away from Link. "But make one slip up and you'll be the first on my hit list."

"I promise you…I won't upset you. So…partners? I mean, we both know each other's secrets. Might as well get to…know each other."

"…" Samus didn't reply. She just headed back to the fortress, leaving Link stranded in the clearing. The next day, Ganondorf had assigned both Link and Samus an assignment to retrieve an artifact from the desert known as the Rune Blade. Both warriors bowed to Ganondorf and headed out to the desert. Samus was dressed in her Power Suit which proved air and sheltered her from the heat. Link, on the other hand, was starting to fatigue. The sun, lack of food and water, and no wind was getting to him. Eventually, Link passed out on the sand. Samus looked at his limp corpse and began to walk away. However, a part of her couldn't let him die. She grunted at herself as she picked up Link and carried him all the way to the Spirit Temple.

She left his body at the entrance, as she took a bottle from his tunic and walked off in search of the oasis. Once she arrived at the oasis, she filled the bottle up with water. She grabbed a bunch of bananas which were hanging off from the tree in the oasis, then walked back to the Spirit Temple. Once she arrived, she lifted Link slightly and poured the cool water down his throat. Link, opened his eyes as he started coming too.

"Uh…Samus?" Link asked. "Where…are we?"

"We're in the Spirit Temple…" Samus said. "You passed out due to your weakness, so I carried you here. Drink the water and eat up. I don't want you passing out on me again."

"What about you?" Link asked.

"Don't bother me. You just worry about your own hide."

"Th-thank you!" Link replied as he drank the rest of the water and ate some of the bananas. Samus looked around the temple. Murals, statues, and mirrors decorated the place. She saw a large cinderblock guarding the entrance to the temple. Using her strength, Samus pushed the block down and made a clearing for them to pass. Link walked alongside her with a banana in hand. He munched on the fruit as both him and Samus made their way through the trap and monster infested temple.

Finally arriving in the center of the temple, the two warriors found the dark altar in which a broken sword laid there. Link walked over to the sword and picked it up. The blade was rusted, the hilt was broken…to Link, it looked like a sword which was beyond repair. "This…is the Rune Blade?" he asked. "Why would Ganondorf want this piece of junk?"

"It doesn't matter why he wants it," Samus added in. "Let's just take that piece of crap and leave this place."

"Right…" Just as Link took the rest of the sword off from the altar, the room began to shake. Dust and parts of the ceiling began to fall on the two warriors. At that moment, an Anubis appeared before them. It's mummified body hovered over to the ground as it's stone head glared at the duo. It growled as it unleashed a fire ball at Samus. Samus jumped out of the way and shoot at the Anubis. The blast managed to blow a hole into the Anubis' body. The creature let out a screech before it fell to the ground. At that moment, more Anubis appeared. Each of them were glaring at Link and Samus.

Link let out a sigh as he pulled out his bow and arrow and charged up a fire spell on it. He shot at one of the Anubis monsters and burned its body. The others began to attack the duo, shooting fire and other spells at them. One Anubis managed to hit part of Samus' circuitry, causing her suit to malfunction. Her power suit fell off from her body, exposing her Zero Suit form. She scoffed as she took out her gun and began to attack that way. One Anubis crept up behind Samus and shot a fireball at her back. Samus let out a yell as she fell to the ground. Even though her suit protected her from getting burn, Samus could feel the pain. The Anubis growled as it charged up for another attack.

"Samus!" Link shouted as he ran over to the fallen bounty hunter and used his body as a shield to block off the next fireball attack. Unlike Samus, Link's green tunic was not fire proof. Link's back and part of his tunic were burned. "Samus…are you okay?" Was all Link managed to ask.

"You idiot!" Samus shouted. "You know my Zero Suit is fireproof! I would have been okay!"

Link shook his head. "Then…why did you look so scared and hurt?"

"You have the sword, right?" Samus asked.

"Yeah…"

"Then let me handle this. You'll only get hurt…" Samus got up from the ground and ran to the middle of the room. Taking out a strange device that was in her hand, Samus pushed the button. All of a sudden, electric sparks surrounded her body, shocking anything that was around her. The Anubis let out yells as they all fell one by one. Samus' Power Suit came together and covered her body. Once all the Anubises were dead, Samus helped Link get up. "Let's go home…" she said.

With their mission accomplished, Link and Samus were given time off. Link rested in his room. He laid on his stomach and tried to cope with the pain of the burns he got. "Maybe, that wasn't such a smart idea," he said.

"Yeah, it wasn't," Samus replied as she entered his room. In her hands were medicines and potions. "You idiot…you know I can fend for myself. Why did you do it? Why did you help me?"

"I…didn't want to see you get hurt," Link replied.

"Why?"

"Why would any friend want to see their friend get hurt?"

"What did I tell you when we met? I'm not your friend…" Samus retorted.

"I know…you don't want to be…" Link said in a sad tone. "But…I want to be. I see you…as my friend, even if you don't see it yourself. I know you don't want to…but can you let me…at least have you as my friend?"

Samus looked at Link as he stared at her with his curious blue eyes. They looked so innocent and fragile. Link reminded her of Ponchi…her very first pet and friend she ever had. Ponchi had the same colored eyes and the same fragile look when she first met him. She sat down on his bed and began to move his tunic. "I'll mend you…" she said. "It's the…least I can do for you."

Link smiled. Even though she didn't say it directly to him, he got the message that she saw him as a friend as well. During the past seven months, Link developed a way to read Samus. Whenever she didn't reply, she didn't like the subject. If she stood quiet, but not glaring at anyone, she is lost in thought. If she mentions something nice to you, when you ask her something, she's indirectly saying her answer. Even though it was confusing, Link managed to read her like a book now. And he often would smile whenever, Samus caught on to his motions. She started to know when he was upset, when he was hungry, happy, worried, bored, and pretty much anything.

"There…" Samus said as she finished patching Link up. "Done. You can get up now."

"Thank you, Samus…" Link said as he sat up. "You know…I've pretty much told you everything about me…how come you never told me anything about you. Why is it that you're so nice to me lately."

"I'm not nice…" Samus responded.

"You are…you're just nice…in your own way."

"It's strange…" Samus spoke softly. "I don't know if its just your nature or anything…but how you manage to sense people…reminds me of an animal. You remind me of my pet, Ponchi."

"Ponchi?"

"Yeah…if you were to call him an animal that lives on this world…it would be a combination of a squirrel, rabbit, and cat. Ponchi was my companion and I've had him ever since I was three. Much like you, I lost my family. My father died at the hands of a space pirate known as Ridley. He is a monster and the one I want to destroy…because he left me for dead…twice. The other time…after my colony was murdered, I was taken by the chieftain of the Chozo tribe. He insisted I call him Grandpa Bird…and so I did. He was a father to me. And I was happy, even during the training he gave me. However, when I turned fourteen, Ridley struck again…and this time…he wiped out the entire Chozo Tribe…everyone last one of them died. Grandpa Bird had hid me inside of a ship in which I managed to fly off. When I returned back…the entire village was gone…burned to the ground. I was left all alone for nine years…until I managed to get work for King Mario and Queen Peach. And here I am."

Link counted his fingers. "Hey…you're twenty-three," Link said.

"Yeah…I am."

"You're old!" Link giggled.

"Old? How old are you?"

"I'm just sixteen."

"Wait! You're just sixteen?!"

"Yeah…I barely turned sixteen two months ago. Hehe…I guess time sure does fly, huh?"

"I thought you were older!" Samus let out. "You're…you're so…"

"I'm so what?" Link asked as he cocked his head.

"You hit on me and such…you're such a grave robber! You being underage isn't a good thing."

"Underage? What is underage?"

"That means…you're still a teen…not an adult yet."

"Hey! I'm so an adult!" Link pouted. "Once you turn thirteen, you're an adult! In fact, people around my age start getting married."

"Oh…yeah…your world is different than mine…" Samus added in.

"What? Really? So…when do people turn into adults?" Link asked.

"When they're eighteen."

"Eighteen? That's old. They should already have a kid by then. But don't worry, Samus…I'm sure you'll find yourself a man who will birth with you many strong sons."

"Kid…with my profession…having kids is the least of your worries," Samus commented. "I never have time to find a man who can keep up with me."

Link paused for a moment. "Hey! I have an idea!" Link giggled. "How about…if you can't find a man…I'll birth with you your kids! I wouldn't mind having an older wife. I can provide for you."

"You're joking aren't you?" Samus blushed.

Link chuckled slightly. "But you better hurry. The offer is only good while you can have children."

Samus chuckled as well. "Link…you're a strange kid."

Ike couldn't help but chuckle a bit on the story. "Samus is right about one thing: you are a strange kid," he replied.

"I know…" Link responded. "After all…it's not every day a man around my age and physique has yet to settle down. But getting married is the least of my worries."

"Hmm? What would you do once this is over?"

"I suppose…I wouldn't mind having my own home…probably doing some ranching and living my life in a calm manner. Possibly having kids. I don't know yet. One thing's for sure…I want to help Samus. I really think she needs to help…both on her work and in her persona."

_End of chapter! _

_Chapter Fifteen: Mending_

_- "There she is…my most prized possession. She will be the one to retrieve the Triforce of Wisdom."_

A/N: For those that don't know…Link is fifteen (many believed 17, even I believe it's 17 and I was about to use 17 as the age for him, but I decided to go with 15 instead. Reason for the age being 15 is because some people I know said that Miyamoto supposedly said in an interview that Link was 15 in OoT. I don't know if that's true or not since the supposed website is no longer available. This is NOT a reliable source, so don't take my word for it. Either way, I decided to use 15 to get it over with.) during OoT and Samus is twenty-three during Metroid Prime 2, I believe. I'll be using those ages. Currently, Link's already seventeen and Samus is about to be twenty-five soon. Just to clear some things up about their ages. Another thing about why Link is talking about marriage is because in medieval times, people didn't live that long. Forty was probably the cut off age that most people lived and fifty was only if you were lucky.

Most people didn't even get to see their grandkids because they would have been dead by then. So, it isn't strange for someone around Link's age to be thinking about that. Since his life is almost half over, according to medieval standards. And of course since Samus is from a much disease-friendlier environment and all…the cut off age for her race would be different. Possibly about one hundred might be the cut off age for her. So marriage between a "teen" and an adult isn't something that was frowned upon or bad back in ancient times. This is just something to clear things up in case you people thought the age thing was bad.


	15. Chapter 15: Mending

_Hey! I'm back with another chapter. Sorry for the long wait on the update. I just hope this chapter will make it up to all of you. Once again, I'd like to thank my readers for always staying by my side and reading this story through. I do so hope that you will all continue to enjoy this story as much as I enjoyed writing it. Thank you all! Oh, and by the way, thanks to the addition of Greil, we're bound to have much more fun with this. And who knows, we might be seeing more SSBB characters soon._

**A Hero's Creed**

**Chapter Fifteen: Mending**

The following morning, Greil was up and looking around Kakariko Village. He let out a grunt as he saw such a peaceful town. However, something in the back of his mind told him that there was something he had to fix. He slammed his hands together and he know remembered what it was. "I have to get Ike over here," he said. "I need to speak with my boy."

Ike stretched on his bed. He woke up a little bit before dawn, enough to see the sunrise. He slightly smiled as he dressed for the day and walked out of his room. As Ike walked down the hall, he saw Link walking over to the opposite side. Ike merely nodded at him as Link nodded back. Both men walked towards their destinations.

Link arrived at one of the rooms. He knocked on the door lightly and waited for an answer. Moments later, the door opened to reveal a somewhat sleepy Samus Aran. Her long, strands of blond hair were let loose and covered parts of her body. She looked at the Hylian with a stone stoic look. Link merely smiled at her. "Morning Samus," he said softly. "You sleep well?"

"..I guess," was her reply.

"We have to hurry over to Kakariko Village. A messenger from Greil's mercenaries has adviced us that Greil has asked for an audience with us. About what…I don't know."

"Alright…give me a moment then."

About an hour later, Ike and the rest of his teammates had arrived at Kakariko Village. Everyone seemed to be confused as to what Greil would call them for. However, Ike had a pretty good idea of what it would be. _So predictable, Father, _he thought as he waited outside of Impa's house. At that moment, the door to Impa's house opened and out stepped Boyd.

"Morning, Ike," he called out. "Greil would like to see you and your friends."

"I know that," Ike said. "I got it from the letter."

"Oh, really? I didn't know you could read Hylian."

"I…I can't…" Ike blushed from embarrassment.

At that moment, Link, Samus, Lyn, Sonic, Lucario, Sheik, Marth, Pit, Impa, and Zelda looked at Ike with bizarre looks on their faces. "Ike…" Zelda spoke, "You can't read or write Hylian?"

"N-no…I…I never learned how. I usually had Soren read and write for me."

"Quite certainty," Soren replied as he walked out of the house right as he heard Zelda talking. "I am or will be his tactician one day. It is my duty to file out the paperwork and what not. Ike knows the basic New Tongue but no Old Tongue, Hylian, or any other foreign language."

"Oh, but still…Ike should at least learn the basic calligraphy. Ike…why don't you allow me to teach you. It would be a good chance for you to learn."

"Perhaps…" Soren commented. "However, Ike has much urgent business to attend to now. If he is to have free time to learn calligraphy or the basic alphabet, I shall provide him with that information when I see fit."

"Oh…but I insist that I could help," Zelda replied.

"Oh, but You Majesty, you shouldn't bother with such trifle matters. After all…you should be quite busy and we wouldn't dare to shirk you from your duties…" Soren spoke in a rather false respectable tone.

"It wouldn't take much of my time," Zelda responded with a rather stern tone. "I can teach Ike myself. That way he can be independent and wouldn't have to bother you with such bothersome…"

"It isn't bothersome to me," Soren cut off Zelda with a rather dark and sadistic tone. "In fact, I'm rather happy with my job to Ike. We are, after all, really good friends. Not to mention that I will teach him when I have a chance too. As for now, I as tactician, shall provide for Ike. Now if you excuse me…Lord Greil will want to speak with him and we shouldn't keep him waiting."

Soren smiled at Zelda, but one of maliciousness and respite. One could already tell that Soren was not fond and most likely wouldn't be fond of Zelda and vice versa. Impa wasn't too happy with the way Soren was acting to Zelda, but let him go on the account that he was Ike's friend and Greil's tactician. She'd have to talk to Greil, himself about the manners of his company.

At that moment, Greil stepped out from the house. Behind him, Titania, fully dressed in her armor, walked out with him. Mist poked her head slightly from the house and waved to Ike. "Morning, brother!" Mist called out. "Did you sleep well?"

"I did…thanks Mist," Ike replied.

"I'll be in the house cleaning. I'll talk to you later!" With that, Mist disappeared into the house again.

Greil chuckled at his daughter before he averted his attention back to Ike. "Ike," Greil spoke in a booming voice, "from what I could see, just by looking at you, you've grown quite strong. It seems you got used to the Regal Sword as well. Which is a good thing indeed. Your year here in Hyrule proved to be quite an adventurous one, especially with this whole 'Ganondorf' thing going on."

"Thank you, Father…" Ike replied.

"However…" Greil added in. "I have yet to see your full potential right now. I can't judge how well you wield a sword with just looking at you. I want you to prove to me how strong you are."

"Alright…" Ike unsheathe the Regal Sword and got into a fighter's stance.

"I would fight you…but that would ruin today's lesson if I whooped your ass right now. Even if you did become twice as strong as you were before, I can still match you blow for blow. And if I were to spar with you, you wouldn't have much energy to get to the lesson I wanted to teach you today."

"Wait…you still have me learning from you?!" Ike spoke. "You still treat me as a child?"

"No…not as a child. First off…a man never finishes learning because there is much to learn in the world. This lesson is not just for you…it's for all your little friends."

"What?" Sheik let out. "You mean…us?"

Greil looked around. "I don't see anyone else being Ike's companions, so I must be talking to you. Now listen here…I heard you trained under the guidance of the great Impa…but you have yet to train under my wings. I am not one to be taken lightly."

"Oh geez…" Ike added in.

"Now…I heard that all of you have not been getting along at all. We can not have that going on. If we are to fight this 'Ganondorf' we need to work together as a team. So for this first exercise, you will be split into two groups the way I see fit. Now…listen up closely. I will now assign you a team. Here is team one: Ike, Pit, Link, Samus, and Sonic. Here is team two: Lyn, Marth, Zelda, Sheik, and Lucario. You will all each fight with each other. Team one will work together and fight team two and vice versa. I want to see how well you all can work together and what you need to work on. No complains. I don't want to hear them! Now…go!"

Ike and Link looked at each other with an "are you serious?" look at each other. However, knowing how Greil was, they had to comply. Ike ran over to Sheik and swung his blade at her. Sheik dodged his swing then attacked using a swift kick at Ike's side. Lyn glared at Marth. She wasn't not happy about what they are going to put her through. Marth felt quite uneasy about the entire thing. He knew that Lyn did not want to cooperate at all with him.

"Lyn!" Greil shouted. "If you are to pass this part of training, you must learn to withstand your hate and work together with your fallen enemy if you are to defeat a greater one!"

"Daddy," Mist said, "Are you sure about this?"

"Of course I'm sure about this training. I've been sure about this since I woke up this morning. This is guaranteed to work by either bringing these guys together…or killing them. Still don't know. Either way, this is entertaining to watch."

Link ran over to Marth and began to fight against him. Marth easily dodged one of Link's swings then countered with some of his own. Link grunted as Marth's foot connected with his lower back. Link stumbled back a bit before he rushed over to Marth and kicked him swiftly against his stomach. The blue haired warrior stumbled back before he grabbed Link and threw him down.

Link quickly got back right up on his feet and dashed over to Marth. He quickly grabbed him and began to hit him with the hilt of his sword. Marth tried to struggle, but Link's grasp was quite firm. "Lyn..." Marth said, "Please Miss Lyn, help me!" Lyn merely watched as poor Marth was still in the line of danger. Greil saw what was going on.

"Lyn!" Greil shouted. "what did I tell you? Go help the boy!"

Lyn glared at Greil before she ran over to Link and kicked him off of Marth. Marth fell to the ground from the yank but managed to roll out of the way. He quickly got up and dusted himself off. "Thank you, Miss Lyn," he said politely.

"I only did it because Sir Greil told me to," she said. "This doesn't change the fact that I didn't want to."

"I know..." Marth responded in a sadden voice. "However, I still thank you kindly. You..."

"Leave me alone..." Lyn said. "Continue fighting that bastard, Link." With that, Lyn dashed off to fight a new opponent. Marth frowned as he watched Lyn fight Samus. Still, the blue haired warrior was amazed at how gallantly and beautifully Lyn fought. It was like every time she swung her sword, it was like a step to a dance. Her wild, emerald colored hair danced freely as she landed blow per blow against the blond Samus.

Link was about to attack Marth but noticed that he was preoccupied watching Lyn fight. Link merely grinned softly as he watched Samus fight as well. While both boys were busy admiring the scowling women, Sheik was busy trying to fight off Ike. She had to quickly dodge Ike's swings before any of them landed on her slender body. Ike was a force to be reckoned with, even though he was as slow as molasses. Sheik just chuckled as she ran over to Ike and began to whip him with a chain.

Ike growled as he was hit several times by Sheik's silver chain. However, Ike remembered what to do in this situation. He managed to catch the chain with this gloved hand and pull Sheik towards him. Once Sheik was near his body, he head-butted her. The Sheikah fell to the ground. As she tried to get up, Ike placed his foot on her back. "Sorry, but you're not going anywhere," he said in a gruff voice.

Before Ike could deliver another strike, a red flare caught his eyes. In a matter of moments, Ike was pushed back by a fire embrace. He tumbled away as he tried to put out the flames that caught onto his back. Standing in front of him, was Princess Zelda. Zelda smiled softly as she held out on her hand, a small ball of fire. "Sorry Ikey-poo," she said, "but I can't let you finish off my guardian. I need her."

"Don't tell me you're going to fight me," Ike said. "Sorry, but I'm not fighting you, princess."

"Why not?" Zelda asked. "I'm your opponent too!"

"I know that...just that I don't fight noble women. I can't hurt you."

"Ike...you're going to fight me," Zelda said as she placed a hand on her hips. "We're here for a training exercise and I think Greil wants you to learn how to fight someone you love dearly in case something bad happens."

"She's right, Ike!" Greil shouted. "This girl is a lot smarter than an average woman. And she caught on with why I put her in the opposite team as you."

"But I..." Ike said.

"Enough talk! Let's fight!" Zelda ran over to Ike and delivered a swift kick on his chest. Normally, Zelda was physically weak compared to a man like Ike. However, when infused with magic, her kicks are powered to an extent. As Zelda unleashed her kick, she chant a soft spell which intensive her kick. The heel of her slipper connected against Ike's body and shocked his every muscle. The force was enough to temporarily paralyze his body and sent him flying.

Ike fell a couple of feet into the air before he fell down on the ground. He coughed as he tried to recuperate from the blow the princess gave him. However there wasn't much time to react. Zelda was approaching him. Her hands were glowing brightly, meaning she was going to attack with another spell. Ike got up from the ground and prepared for her attack. Once Zelda approached him, he grabbed her wrists, turned around then kicked Zelda on her back.

Zelda fell to the ground. Ike was about to kneel before her, but was kicked away by Sheik. The Sheikah guardian was not too pleased with Ike's performance. "How dare you!" Sheik shouted. "You attacked the princess and then tried to finish her off on the ground? How shameful!"

"I wasn't going to to that!" Ike shouted.

"Now..." Sheik said as she took out some daggers. "You're going to feel the pain of the Thousand Needles of Death Shadow Technique."

Ike tried to talk to Sheik about the situation, but she would not hear it. She gathered what seemed to be dozens of needles and threw them at Ike. Ike was not able to dodge them nor could he fend them off. He closed his eyes and tried to endure them. However, when none of the needles touched him, he opened his eyes. In front of him he could see a small figure and a fan. Pit had flown right in front of Ike and twirled his bow in a fast manner that his it deflected all the needles from both fighters. Once all the needles were gone, Pit stopped twirling his bow and smiled at Ike. "Pit came to the rescue!" he said cheerfully. "Did Pit do a good job?"

Ike smiled back at him and ruffled his hair in a fondly manner. "Yeah, you did a good job," Ike said. "Now...let's take care of business."

"Yeah!" Pit broke his bow in half, creating them into daggers. "Pit will take care of Sheik!" He flew over to Sheik and got into a fighter's stance.

Sheik whined softly. "Oh, I don't want to fight you..." she said softly. "You're too cute to fight."

"Aww, Pit doesn't want to fight you too," he said. "but this is an exercise. Pit has to fight someone."

"Oh...okay..." Sheik replied.

"Easy for you!" Ike shouted at Pit and Sheik. "At least you're both hesitant to fight each other!" Ike managed to dodge an arrow which was shot by Zelda. "I can't seem to get her off of me!"

"You can call that a good sign that she likes you," Sheik replied with a smirk. "Come on, Ikey-poo...she's just saying how much she loves you!"

"Very funny, Sheik!" Ike let out as he dodged another arrow. All the meanwhile, Zelda was having a blast trying to shoot Ike down. Ike had to find a way to stop Zelda from shooting him. The only problem was that he didn't know how. Right as he turned to face Zelda, a green glow enveloped her and in moments she disappeared. "What the?!" Ike's eyes widen as he saw the princess disappear before his very own eyes. "Where...did she...?"

At that moment, Ike tumbled on the ground. Zelda had reappeared behind him. The princess mischievously managed to kick Ike once more, sending him flying. Ike rolled on the ground. Once he regained his balance, he decided that he had enough. He ran up to Zelda, grabbed her by the wrists and gave her a hard head-butt. The force of the hit was enough to give Zelda a concussion if it weren't for the fact that Ike pulled back just a little bit. Zelda fell backwards on the ground, leaving Ike with a rather guilty conscience. "Zelda?!" he let out as he knelt next to the princess. "Are you alright?! Oh by the gods..."

"What did you do to Zelda?!" Sheik screeched.

"I...it was an accident!" Ike shouted. "I didn't mean to..."

"Lies!"

"No! I would never....huh?" Ike looked back down on the ground where Zelda's body would have been. However, she was now gone. At that moment, a pair of soft glove hands wrap themselves around Ike's strong neck.

"Guess who?" came the soft voice.

"...You really had me worried," Ike said.

"I know..." Zelda replied as she kissed Ike's cheek.

Ike sighed in relief, letting out a small smile as the princess kissed him. Lucario was having a difficult time trying to land a hit against Sonic. The blue hedgehog was quite speedy and very cheeky towards the fighting Pokemon. Lucario punched at Sonic, however Sonic dodged out of the way and sat on his back. "You know," Sonic said. "You're just..."

"Don't say that phrase..." Lucario hissed.

"Too slow!" Sonic chided.

Lucario growled as he tried to get Sonic off of his back. Sonic fooled around with Lucario, taunting him and zipping away and towards him. Suddenly, Lucario had had enough. He used Foresight and waited for Sonic's next movement. He ran towards the blue hedgehog and managed to land a single hit against him. Sonic tumbled on the grass in a small little ball. He got up and looked at Lucario. "Hehe, that was good!" Sonic said. "That was sure fun!"

"Hmph..." was all Lucario managed to say.

Greil was observing the fighters while Soren was right beside him, taking down notes and every comment that Greil had to offer. Once he had seen enough, Greil had to dismiss the exercise. "Alright, everyone," he said. "Let's stop for now and head over here."

The group had stopped their fighting and made their way towards Greil. Greil took the book from Soren's hands and read what the mage had wrote on it. After quickly reading it, Greil had came to a conclusion. "Alright, now I am going to tell you the results of what we're going to do," Greil said. "We have some problems with the lot of you. My main concern is Lyn and Marth. When Marth was in trouble, Lyn hesitated to save him from Link. So, I came to the conclusion. You two will have to go on a mission together."

"What?" Lyn let out.

"Yes...you both will have to do a mission together. And both are to come back...alive and well! I will come up with a good mission in a moment. As for now, you both will have to stay right here with me and my group. Now...let's move on to others. Sonic...you are too cocky. You could have easily defeated Lucario, but instead you let your incredible speed get to your head. Lucario...good job, but you mustn't get frustrated over a disadvantage. Zelda, you did a good job using your magic. However you are quite physically feeble and need to keep your distance. Ike...I taught you better than that. Pit, you're too soft when fighting people. Don't hold back. Sheik...you mustn't drop your guard for a pretty face like Pit's! If he was the enemy you would have failed."

"What is that suppose to mean?" Sheik let out.

"It means...you are not fit to fight if you can not raise a sword against someone who's adorable," Greil commented.

"Why you…I can see why Ike's cocky bastard…" Sheik growled.

"If you want to prove that you're quite a feat for me…land one single hit against me before I land three against you."

"With pleasure!" Sheik took out her daggers and throw them at Greil. Greil merely took out his ax and blocked all of the upcoming attacks. He dodged out of the way and delivered one hit on Sheik's back with the blunt end of his ax. "That's one," he said. Sheik growled as she jumped up against the wall and used her body to attack him. Greil moved out of the way and hit Sheik once more. "That's two," he said. Sheik glared at him before she attacked him once more. Each of her swings were blocked by the massive ax of a weapon. Sheik disappeared in front of Greil and appeared behind him. She took out a handful of needles and threw them at Greil.

Greil smirked as she slowly turned around and blocked each of the needles with his ax. He smirked victoriously. Sheik's red eyes widen as she looked at the mercenary in front of him. "That...can't be..." she said. Greil twirled his ax then threw it at Sheik. The ax landed next to her body. The impact of the weapon knocked the Sheikah off from the wall. She landed on the grass. Before she could get up, Greil stepped on her. "That would make three," he said. "Now you know...that experience in battle...and the knowledge of one's enemy will be the differences between life and death. I taught Ike the same thing...but I can teach you many things."

"I don't need it..." Sheik said. "Aunt Impa does enough."

"Oh...I believe I can teach you better," Greil said.

"What is that suppose to mean, Lord Greil?" Impa asked as she placed her hands on her hips.

"What I meant, and no offense to you, is that you have yet to teach this woman much about fighting. I'm sure your Sheikah techniques are interesting but it does not compare to the wages of war."

"For your information," Impa said. "I have been in war. The Hyrulean War...in which we lost most of our tribe. I know how war wages and if you think my training is insufficient then you are in the wrong, sir."

"Oh...I did not mean to take offense," Greil smirked.

"Your face tells me the truth," Impa said.

"If you want to prove your techniques are more than enough, then you should fight me to test out that theory."

"Fine by me..." Impa said. "I detest pointless fighting...but this...is for honor." Impa took out her kodachi and glared at Greil.

"Hehe...I love vibrant women with strong spirits," Greil said. "They're fun to spar with."

Ike and Sheik were not impressed as they saw both their mentors fighting against each other. Both were strong warriors and both had experience in the wages of war. With each attack Impa performed, Greil would block and whatever attack Greil would do, Impa would avoid with ease. Finally, after an hour of fighting the both of them tired each other out and rested. During that time, Ike and his mercenary group were busy talking to each other while watching the fight. Ike approached his father. "Father, are you done yet?" Ike asked.

"Perhaps," Greil said. "Do I must admit,t his woman is of a strong caliber. I can see that just by her basic training you've grown quite strong. I have the utmost confidence that you learned quite well."

"Thank you, Father..." Ike said.

"Now...to get down to business. You said there was a ranch nearby, Ike?"

"Yes...it's Lon Lon Ranch."

Ike managed to take Greil, his group, and the rest of the Greil mercenaries to the ranch. The Crimeans were all eying the ranch as they walked in. Just then, Malon walked in. She smiled as she approached Ike. "Ike!" Malon let out as she hugged the warrior. "I'm so glad you're back. So...you didn't leave after all?"

"No..." Ike responded as he hugged her back. "I'm here to stay."

"So...everything between you and the princess was resolved?"

"Yeah...you could say that."

"Oh..." Malon looked over and saw Princess Zelda. She released her hold on Ike and bowed at the princess. "Lady Zelda...what a surprise."

"A pleasure dear ranch owner," Zelda bowed at Malon in respect.

"Oh? Who are these people?" Malon asked as she saw the Greil mercenaries.

"These are my friends and family," Ike said. "They are the Greil Mercenaries, as I told you about. This is my father, Greil."

Greil walked over to Malon and took her hand. He kissed it lightly. "A pleasure to speak with you," he said.

"You're very kind," Malon replied with a smile.

"And these are Mist, my sister, Rolf, Oscar, Boyd, Shinon, Gatrie, Rhys, Titania, and Soren," Ike said as he pointed at the Crimeans.

"Oh, nice to meet you all! I hope you all have fun at the ranch." Upon saying that, Ike took the rest of the group to see the ranch. Only Soren didn't seem to move from his spot. Malon noticed that Soren didn't seem at all interested in the ranch. "Oh...excuse me, um...Soren, right?"

"Yeah..." Soren responded in a rather agitated tone. "Is there something you want?"

"I was just wondering how come you're not joining the others."

"Quite frankly," Soren said. "I'm not interested in this flea infested ranch along with these mangy animals."

"Oh! That's a terrible thing to say!" Malon said. "You'll hurt the horses' feelings!"

"Horses don't have feelings..."

"Yes they do! Everything that's living has feelings from you to the tiniest cuckoo chick! You have to learn how to respect life and all its sources."

"Right..." Soren replied. "Well...I best be going on my...wha?!"

Malon took a hold of Soren's arm and dragged him towards the ranch. "Come on!" she said. "I'm going to teach you how to ride a horse!"

"I don't want to ride a horse!" Soren complained. "Let go of me, you filthy el..."

"Don't complain!" Malon shouted. "Take it like a man!"

As Ike continued with his tour, Malon had shoved Soren on a horse. At that moment, the group heard yells and screams. Ike turned around to see a rather frighten Soren, holding onto the horse he was on for dear life. "I....am going to kill...that elf..." Soren said while gritting his teeth. Greil laughed loudly as he saw his tactician in such a situation. Malon approached the group giggling as she shouted instructions at Soren.

"You have to hold on to the reigns!" Malon shouted.

"Miss Malon..." Greil said.

"Yes?"

"I was wondering...do you need any help with deliveries? I can lend you my services."

"Oh...that would be convenient. How much are you willing to ask for?"

"Anything is fine...this is more for training purposes."

"Then I have a job for you," Malon said.

Soren shouted as he fell off the horse and landed roughly on the grassy ground. Ike chuckled as he approached his companion and helped him up. Soren cursed Malon, but Ike merely brushed it off.

Later that evening, back in Kakariko Village, Greil had gotten his first job. It was a milk delivery from Hyrule to a far off land known as Ordon Village. It was a small village off towards the south, past the Kokiri Forest. "Now...Lyn...Marth," Greil said. "You two will need to do this delivery together....and alone. I will not accept no for an answer."

"I am not a mercenary," Lyn said. "I don't have to abide by your rules."

"But you work under Ike, don't you? And Ike works under me, which makes me your superior's superior."

Lyn grunted as she now was stuck in a mission with Marth. Marth was rather nervous about the mission, but had to comply with it. The two of them were to leave early that morning. Once morning did came, Ike and the rest of the group with the exception of Link, whom had disappeared mysteriously during the early hours of the morning, said their good-byes to Lyn and Marth. Marth bowed at Zelda as Lyn did the same. Walking alongside the horses, the duo took the carriage of milk to their next destination.

Back in Ganondorf's fortress, Vaati had been busy looking through scrolls. The wind sorcerer was trying to figure out the mystery of a new power that was mentioned by King Ashnard. What brought him away from his thoughts was the figure of a small girl with snowy white hair. Her skin was ghastly pale and her eyes were a soft blue hue. Her clothing consisted of a dark dress. "Vaati..." the little girl said. "I had a nightmare..."

"Oh, did you now?" Vaati said as he smiled at her. "Sit next to me. Maybe you can help me out with my research...about Lehran's Medallion...the Fire Emblem."

"Okay," the little girl said as she approached Vaati and sat down next to him. At that moment, Medusa came in. She smirked quite wickedly as she spotted the little girl with Vaati.

"Ahh..." Medusa said, "There she is...my most prized possession. She will be the one to retrieve the Triforce of Wisdom. Won't you, my dear Dark Zelda?"

"Uh huh!" Dark Zelda said in a soft voice. "I promise I will do my best, Mama Medusa!"

"Good girl," Medusa said. "now...have you found out anything about the Lehran's Medallion?"

"Just that it goes by the name of Fire Emblem," Vaati said, "it contains the power of a great god...the god of chaos. If a mortal of unequal chaos takes the medallion, they lose control of themselves. You knew a lot about the medallion..."

"Yes...that medallion...it used to be mine," Medusa said. "It was the source of my power put together into a crystal. The gold around it is merely to contain its power. If the gold breaks, a large wave of power, capable of destroying everything within a wide radius will disappear. Including this entire fortress and Hyrule castle. Palutena took the medallion from me and kept it in the heavens.

"When I tried to take it back and overrule the heavens, I was stopped by an insolent whelp...a wretched low class angel. The reject is now working for Zelda and watches over her. However, the medallion fell from the heavens and landed somehow in the hands of a warrior known as Gawain. He has been lost since then and King Ashnard has been looking for him since. If that greedy bastard of a king thinks he's going to take away MY medallion, he's wrong! The Fire Emblem...or should I say the Goddess Crystal, is mine!"

"So..." Vaati said, "what are you going to do?"

"Easy...get my medallion back. I will use Ashnard to find the medallion. Once he finds it, I shall take it from him. I will soon have a greater power than before...my power will never run out."

"Pity you have to go through all this trouble," a soft, yet stern male voice spoke. "Just to rule the heavens and the hells."

Medusa turned around to see a young man with white hair and red eyes. His skin was of a dark tan. His clothing consisted of a black tunic and complete black attire.

"Dark Link..." Medusa said. "Quite perfect timing...I thought you weren't going to come back."

"Sorry...but I had trouble taking over...after all...this body of mine can be quite stubborn," Dark Link smiled, showing a fanged smile. "I do have...information about the group. I think...I know where your medallion is."

_End of chapter! _

_Chapter Sixteen: A Dark Creature's Heart_

_"Zelda...there you are....you look..quite pale. Not to mention...your hair looks different."_


	16. Chapter 16: A Dark Creature's Heart

_Hey! I'm back with another chapter. Sorry for the long wait on the update. I just hope this chapter will make it up to all of you. Once again, I'd like to thank my readers for always staying by my side and reading this story through. I do so hope that you will all continue to enjoy this story as much as I enjoyed writing it. Thank you all! Oh, and by the way, thanks to the addition of Greil, we're bound to have much more fun with this. And who knows, we might be seeing more SSBB characters soon._

**A Hero's Creed**

**Chapter Sixteen: A Dark Creature's Heart**

It might have been just but a while ago, but Marth and Lyn's journey had started. Since the two of them started to walk, they have been silent. Marth was nervous whenever he was around Lyn. More importantly, he didn't know if he was going to live during or after this mission. _She wouldn't just up and kill me like this...would she? _He asked himself.

Lyn tried her best to ignore Marth. She wanted to pretend that he didn't exist and that she was alone on this mission. However, a soft sneeze from her companion made her realize that it wasn't going to happen. _Greil is really asking for this man to die, isn't he? _She thought to herself. _I hope both Greil and this monster realize and I am NOT going to watch out for him. Just the very thought of him being near me..._

Marth played around with his fingers nervously. He wanted to communicate with Lyn in a proper manner, but his nerves and Lyn's body language suggested that he shouldn't. Still, he could at least do something about her. He let out a soft sigh as he extended his arm. His hand slowly reaching over to touch her shoulder. However, he stopped once Lyn's blade met with his skin.

"Don't touch me," Lyn said without so much as looking at him.

"Lyn...please..." Marth said. "I really want to apologize to you more than anything...but you don't let me..."

"Enough, okay? Enough!" Lyn turned her head and looked at Marth. "I really don't want to mess with you or do anything with you."

"Lyn...I..."

"Just don't talk to me. We're on this mission. You and I are partners...nothing more. Not friends, not now, not ever!"

Marth frowned. His shimmering cerulean eyes dimmed as he looked down. Disappointment was all over his face. Lyn couldn't help but feel slight pity for the warrior. However, she shook all feelings of it and continued to travel. The pair reached the end of Hyrule Field and approached the Kokiri Forest. Both were new to the forest, and hence did not know about its inhabitants or of what lays there. The first thing that greeted them happened to be a young child with ginger colored hair. He looked at Lyn and Marth and stood right in front of them, blocking the entrance to the forest. "Hey, you're not one of us," he said.

"We are not," Lyn said. "We are on a delivery. Please let us pass."

"Sorry, but you're going to have to talk to Mido first about that. He's the leader of our village."

"You have to be kidding," Lyn said. "We have to talk to your leader in order to get through?"

"It's rules and regulation. Yo, Fado!" Shouted the Kokiri.

At that moment, a little blond haired girl wearing matching green clothing appeared. Her simple, sky blue eyes looked at Marth and Lyn in amazement. She swayed to and fro as she examined the pair. "Your kind isn't allowed here," she said. "You're too old to be here."

"Listen, we don't want any trouble," Marth said. "We just want to go through the Lost Woods."

At that moment, Fado's eyes widen as she heard where they were going. "You're going to the Lost Woods?" She asked. "You can't go in there. Anyone go goes in there will be lost. Kids who lose themselves in there....lose their face and become Skull Kids. Adults who go in and lose their way turn into monsters called Stalfos!"

"Stalfos?" Lyn asked. "Listen, we don't have time for this...we need to pass."

"I'll go get Mido!" Fado replied as she left the pair and the guard. Lyn placed her hand on her forehead and let out a sigh. She knew that this was going to be a long mission. After twenty minutes of waiting, Fado came back with a taller, young boy. His ginger hair played on his face, as it exposed the freckles on his face. He had a devious look in his eyes as he approached the adults. His tiny walk had a strange limp to it as he got by his scabby knees.

"So...you outsiders want to pass, huh?" Mido asked. "I don't see why I should let you pass. After all, adults are horrible people. They're stupid, smell bad, and look ugly."

"Why you..." Lyn had to hold back everything she wanted to say to Mido. However, it was hard for her to be nice around a cheeky brat like him. "Listen...please...we're just trying to pass by. We're going to the Lost Woods..."

"Oh...you're going to the Lost Woods, eh?" Mido asked in a cocky tone. "I really don't think you have what it takes to go through it. You'll get lost, either die from starvation or being killed by a monster, or you'll have to turn into one. Either way, you're both screwed....!"

Just before Mido finished his sentence, Marth grabbed a hold of Mido's soft green shirt and glared at him. "Listen..." Marth said in a soft, but rather harsh tone. "We've been nice to you all this time. I really don't appreciate all the stuff you've been telling Lyn. You can say terrible things about me, but if you say anything bad about Lyn, I get really frustrated. Now...quit being such a runt and let us pass. We have a delivery to make!"

Lyn was baffled at Marth's actions, just as much as Mido was. Mido's widen eyes slowly narrowed as he crossed his arms. "Fine!" Mido let out. "Go ahead and enter the Lost Woods. But remember something...you're both going to turn into monsters...if monsters don't eat you first!" Mido stuck his tongue out at the duo. At that moment, Lyn whacked Mido upside the head.

"You rude brat!" she shouted. "Oh...never mind him. Let's just go now."

Marth and Lyn continued to walk through the forest. The heavy flora of the woods, made the entire place completely dark, even though it was clearly daylight outside. A strange melody filled the air with soft, yet cheerful music. Strange luminescent creatures floated about. Marth let out a soft giggle as one of the tiny fairies flew around him. Lyn was amazed by the tiny fairies. Just then a soft whimpering was heard. Lyn followed the sound which lead her to a clearing in the woods. A small, white rabbit which was caught in a trap was whimpering in fear. One of its hind legs seemed to be injured as it was bleeding slightly.

Marth walked beside Lyn and looked at the tiny rabbit. "Oh...it's a bunny," Marth said as he smiled at the tiny rabbit.

"We're lucky then..." Lyn said. She took out a small dagger from her belt and aimed at the tiny rabbit. The white rabbit let out another whimper was it covered its face with its paws.

"What are you doing?" Marth let out.

"What does it look like I'm doing? This is going to be our supper."

"You're...going to kill the bunny?" Marth let out in shock. "You can't! That poor rabbit has much to live for! It never did anything bad to you!"

Lyn looked over at Marth with a surprised look on her face. "You have no problems killing people, but when it come to rabbits you're whining like a child," she said.

"First off...Miss Lyn...I am NOT alright with killing anything!" Marth let out. "We've already had this agreement and you refuse to listen to my apologies. I do apologize for my outburst, but I can not let you kill that poor rabbit." Marth got in the way of Lyn and the tiny rabbit. He undid the rope around the rabbit's leg and cradled the poor animal in his arms. The tiny rabbit shivered in both fear and confusion in Marth's arms. "It's okay, little guy..." Marth said in a soothing voice. "I won't hurt you." Marth caressed the poor rabbit's head, trying to sooth the terrified animal.

"Ugh...I can't believe that you're going to take that thing with us..." Lyn said. "That rabbit is food...FOOD."

"Hmm...not everything that walks around on all fours is food," Marth said. "Besides...she's terrified, alone, and needs to be mended. Don't worry, little guy...I'll take care of you." Marth sat down on the ground, placing the tiny rabbit on his lap. He takes out a small medical kit and begins to mend the rabbit's hind leg. The rabbit sniffed at Marth's hand curiously as Marth was mending it. It squeaked as it liked Marth's scent.

"Marth...listen...we don't have time to watch over that animal..." Lyn said. "If we don't we're going to..." A loud howl rang up from the deep part of the woods. The sounds of running paws echoed through the forest. Panting, growling, and grunts followed the sounds of the trampling. In a matter of moments, four Wolfos appeared. All four had hungry, murderous faces. Their saliva dripped from their bloodied snouts as they salivated what the rabbit, as well as the humans would taste like. Lyn glared at the Wolfos as she moved her hand to the hilt of her sword and unsheathed her weapon. "I think...they want the rabbit..." Lyn said. "We can use it as a distraction and..."

"No..." Marth said. "I already saved the rabbit...I'm not going to let that go in vain."

"Fine...take out your sword...and defend the cargo then."

Marth reached into his sheath and took out his Falchion. "Alright..." he opened the small satchel that was on his belt and placed the rabbit inside. "Don't worry, bunny...I'll protect you." Lyn sighed as she took a fighter's stance. Marth glared at one of the Wolfos. The four beasts let out a howl before they ran towards the two of them and attacked. The sounds of screams, blood, howls, and snarls filled the once calm atmosphere of the forest. Only one force was to stand victorious.

A dark malevolent entity walked through the grassy fields. It walked from the desert's entrance and arriving at the Hyrule Castle Town Market's gate. The figure looked at the entrance before coming in. A dark, black cloak covered most of the body. As it walked, the cloak made the figure look like it was gently hovering above the ground in a graceful manner. One lone guard walked in front of the foreigner.

"Halt!" the guard spoke. "Please state your..." at that moment, the guard saw something on the figure that caught his attention: a golden tiara situated on the forehead of the stranger. He leaned over to take a better look. He gasped as he jumped three feet in the air and away from the person in front of him. "I...I'm sorry! I didn't know it was you. Forgive me! P-please come in!" The guard bowed down at the figure who merely just walked passed him, ignoring he existed.

The dark figure walked through the town market, passing all the stalls. Several vendors tried to sell the silhouette any of their goods, but it refused them. The loud noises of the town were irritating to the silhouette's delicate ears. It cringed as one little girl ran passed it, trying to catch a lone cuckoo. It snarled as it tried to grab the girl, but stopped as it knew it wouldn't be worth it. A pair of dark eyes looked over passed the town and saw a slight view of the castle. "That must be it..." the figure spoke to itself. "Hyrule Castle...Princess Zelda must be there. Then...I suppose I must fulfill my duty...Oh!"

At that moment, the silhouette was knocked over. Ike had bumped into the silhouette while he had been busy on an errand. "Oh, I'm sorry," Ike said as he looked at the fallen person before him. The hood of the black cloak had fell off to reveal Princess Zelda. What seemed strange about Zelda, was the fact that she looked rather pale. Her once blond locks looked close to platinum now. Zelda let out a soft moan as she got up on her knees and placed a hand on her forehead.

"Ow..." she let out. "Watch where you're going!"

"Zelda...there you are....you look…quite pale. Not to mention...your hair looks different," Ike asked as he knelt beside her. "I thought you were at the castle. In fact...that's why you sent me...."

Zelda gasped slightly. However, due to her outburst, she managed to get the attention of some of the townfolk. "Look!" shouted one of the men, "It's the princess!"

"The princess!" Another man shouted.

"Your Higness you must consider the..." shouted a woman.

"You need to..."

"Please! Alms for the poor!"

"You're beautiful...."

Zelda looked around at the townspeople. She shivered in fear as her eyes somewhat deluded. Ike could sense that she was scared and so he had to act quickly on the situation. In one swift movement, Ike scooped up the princess in his arms, pushed some of the townspeople away, and made a run for it. Zelda held onto Ike. Her delicate gloved hands touched Ike's strong neck. She blushed slightly as she locked her eyes on Ike's strong built. _Who is this man? _She thought. _My master didn't say anything about this man._

Once Ike had reached the outskirts of the field, he slowly place the princess on the ground. He chuckled slightly as he stretched his arms. "Whoot...that was a pain," Ike said. "however...I got you out. So...Zelda...why did you leave the castle? I thought that was the reason why you sent me on an errand to get you a bottle of Lon Lon's special milk."

"Oh!" Zelda said. "I...I wanted to go into town...I...I'm tired of being cooped up all day in the castle." _I hope he buys it..._she thought.

"Zelda..." Ike smiled at her. "I understand what you mean. Still...you shouldn't..." Ike was cut off as a thunder clash was heard from above. Zelda looked up at the sky. A tiny, rogue raindrop fell upon her pale cheek. She placed her finger on the drop and touched the water. She was curious however, another raindrop fell on her again. Ike looked up at the sky as well. "Oh...it's raining," he said softly. "I don't think we can head back to the castle before it rains hard...." The rain's drop rate increased. Ike tried to look for any place that would be considered to be shelter. He saw a small cove near the entrance of Zora's river. "I got it!" Ike took a hold of Zelda's hand and dragged her towards the river.

Zelda did her best to keep up with his speed, however due to her highheels, she wobbled. She lost balance and fell to the ground. "Ahh!" let out Zelda as she fell on the ground. Mud and muck covered her black cloak and face. "Ugh...yuck..." Zelda said. Ike quickly hoisted up Zelda on his back and ran.

"Hang onto me!" Ike shouted. Zelda let out a yelp as she wrapped her arms around Ike's neck. She leaned up against him as they braved the pouring rain. She slowly closed her eyes as she tried to keep warm. Ike arrived at the small cove and place Zelda on the ground. Both were soaking wet and were shivering from the cold. Ike groaned as he took off his red cape followed by his blue tunic. "Ugh...this sucks..." he said. "First I tried to take you away from the crowd then I end up dragging you into the rain. Heh...I'm some rescue, huh?"

Zelda: shivered slightly. She let out a small sneeze before she let out a sigh. "It's alright..." she said softly.

"Oh...but you're cold..." Ike said.

"I'll be fine..."

"No...I'll be back with some firewood. It will be difficult to find, but I'll find some. Wait here," Ike said before he took off towards the direction of Zora's river, leaving "Zelda" behind. The princess took off the black cloak from her body and leaned against the rock wall. It must have been an hour or two before Ike returned. In his arms he was carrying bundles of branches. "Sorry I took long..." Ike said. He placed the branches on the ground and aligned them in a circle. "Anyway...I tried to find some dry branches. Wet branches won't light up."

"That's fine..."

Ike shook lightly. He was now getting slightly concerned about Zelda. "Zelda...are you mad at me?" He asked softly. "I...I'm sorry that I did this to you...just that...oh...let me try to make it up to you." Ike started to work on igniting the fire.

Zelda shifted her eyes over to Ike. They looked at him as to say she was at a loss for words. Ike's eyes fell deep into her soft eyes. Yet today, Ike wondered why did Zelda's eyes look dull and lifeless. His eyes trailed down to her lips. They looked rather blue, as if she were freezing. Quickly Ike reverted his attention from Zelda over to his campfire. He quickly rubbed two sticks together which eventually, with enough friction, ignited a small fire. "Ha!" Ike let out. "I got it working!" Ike smiled at Zelda, who in turn approached the small campfire. It wasn't much, but it was enough to warm her hands. She shook as she still felt the freezing sensation of the weather.

Ike tilted his head as he examined Zelda. His sapphire eyes looked over at his red cape. Since Zelda's body was pressed up against it, it was still rather dry. He walked over to the princess and covered her with the cape. Zelda looked over at Ike as he smiled at her warmly. "I…" Zelda said. "You didn't have to…"

"I didn't have to…but…" Ike said, "I wanted to." He knelt besides Zelda. "Zelda…your lips seem blue from the cold. I'll warm them up."

"How?" Zelda asked.

"Like this," Ike replied as he placed his rough hand on her soft cheek. In a swift movement, Ike pressed his lips against hers, but not roughly. Zelda didn't know how to respond. She stiffened as her heart began to race. A slight blush played around with her cheeks. Her glove hands touched Ike's hard chest. Ike giggled slightly as he felt the soft silk touch his bare skin. It was rare that Ike would let out small giggles, but only around Zelda he felt comfortable doing that. "Zelda your gloves are tickly," Ike spoke.

"Ah!" Zelda let out as she tore away from Ike. "I'm sorry…"

"Don't be," the blue haired mercenary reassured her, "I prefer it if it touched me more. I like the feel of it." Ike held Zelda's hands together with his. "Just your touch…is enough to make my day. I can't start my day without at least looking at you."

"You…you really care about me?"

"Of course…I love you, Zelda…"

"You…love me?" Zelda asked as she looked directly into Ike's eyes. All she saw was sincerity in his ocean blue eyes.

"More than anything in the world. If I could…I would want to be with you until I die."

"You…if…I could only speak your name…" Zelda responded.

"Silly princess…you know my name: Ike."

"Ike…that name is handsome. I do so love that name." Zelda closed her eyes as she slowly leaned over towards Ike. Ike grabbed Zelda with his strong arms and brought her close. Her body was now touching Ike's bare abs. Ike slowly leaned back and brought her down with him.

______________________________________________________________________________

"Oh…where is he?" Zelda asked as she paced back and forth in the castle garden. "He's been gone for four hours now. I'm getting worried."

"Princess Zelda, please calm down," Impa said, "I'm sure he will be back. Knowing Ike, he will not miss dinner."

"That is true," Sheik responded. "Knowing that gallute, he'll be here. Just that you better scowl at him for not coming sooner with the milk! Pit didn't have any milk to go with his honey and cookies."

"That's okay," Pit said, "Pit didn't mind."

"Oh! That's NOT alright! A cute, adorable little thing like you needs to have milk in order to grow strong and tall."

Pit smiled as he giggled at Sheik. "You worry a lot about Pit, Sheik," Pit responded, "but that is not a bad thing. It makes Pit feel happy. Don't worry much about Pit…Pit will be okay."

"Oh…you're so adorable!!" Sheik squealed as she hugged Pit. The tiny little angel in her arms let out a squeal of happiness as he hugged back.

Zelda let out a soft sigh. She really was worrying about Ike. Even though Impa did her best to calm her down, something deep inside of Zelda told her that Ike was in trouble. "I'm going to go look for him," Zelda responded as she started to walk out of the gardens.

"Your Grace!" Impa let out.

Zelda refused to listen to anymore talk. Just as she was passing the outer gardens, she heard a snarl. The princess perked up her ears as she followed the sound. Walking through the garden maze, Zelda ended up in a clearing. Inside of the clearing were four guards. Each of them had ropes in one of their hands and their spears in the other. Tied down on the ground was a grey wolf. The beast snarled and flailed around trying to bite down on either the ropes or at any of the guards.

"Hold him down!" shouted one of the guards. "This mangy beast is a wild one!"

One of the guards shook his spear and threatened the wolf. "Stay back, you foul beast!"

Viscen, the captain of the guard walked over to the group. "So…this is what you found?" he asked.

"This monster was found on the outskirts of the town, near the castle. He ran ahead of us, attacked some of our men. Just now we brought him down."

"So…" Viscen spoke as he approached the wolf, "this beast caused much trouble for us. Well then…" Viscen took one of the spears from one of the guards and stabbed the wolf once. The spear pierced the lupine's shoulder. It let out a howl of pain as blood leaked from his fresh wound. Viscen took out the spear. "And now…to end its life…" Viscen raised the spear over his head and sent it down.

"Stop!" Zelda shouted as she ran towards the wolf. "You will not harm him any further!"

"Your Grace! Please step out of the way," Viscen replied. "This beast is a danger to not only the guards but Your Highness as well. He shall be killed and his fur will make a good gift to His Royal Highness, the king."

"Please…leave the wolf alone…he will be my responsibility."

"What?!"

"He was going to be a gift to the Royal Family of Hyrule, correct?" Zelda asked.

"Yes but…"

"Then he shall be a gift…but one that is to be kept alive," Zelda responded as she knelt down before the wolf. The grey wolf was now laying on his side, bleeding. His breathing was rather labored. Zelda slowly moved her hands over to the ropes that were around his neck. The wolf jerked suddenly, which caused Zelda to recoil. Viscen readied the spear in his hands, but Zelda told him not to use it. Once again, the princess approached the ropes around the wolf's neck and gently took them off.

Just as Zelda took the final rope from the wolf, the lupine bit down on Zelda's hand. Zelda winced as blood trailed down from the palm of her hand to her fingertips. Even though the guards were panicking, Zelda remained calm. She merely smiled at the wolf. She placed her free hand on the wolf's head and caressed him. Her fingertips massaged through his soft mane. A white stripe which was on the top of his head and trailed down to the back of his neck, stood out, in a Mohawk type manner. Zelda noticed that the lupine's left eye was heavily damaged.

"You poor thing…" she said softly, "I won't hurt you…I want to help you." The wolf's dark purple-red eye looked at the princess. His jaw was still locked on her hand, tasting her blood. However, when he looked into her eyes, all he saw were the calm sky blue eyes which belonged to the princess. Slowly, the wolf released his hold on the princess' hand. Zelda smiled widely as she petted the wolf. "See? You're not a bad wolf…you're just a scared one. I'll take care of you."

"Zelda! Your hand!" Sheik let out. "That bastard bit you!"

"I know he did…" Zelda responded, "but he didn't do it to hurt me. I need to heal him. Sheik…please help me carry him to my room."

"He'll bite me…"

"Mr. Wolf…" Zelda spoke softly to the wolf, "can you please promise not to hurt Sheik? She only wants to help."

The wolf looked at Zelda with his good eye. He let out a snort, which seemed to be that he understood and agreed. The two women were able to carry the wolf over to Zelda's room where he was placed, under Zelda's request, on her bed. After Impa mended Zelda's hand, Zelda started to mend the wolf. She patched up his open wound and covered the wolf's bad eye with bandages which wrapped around his head.

"You just rest there," Zelda said, "and you'll be well in no time." Zelda had to make sure that the wolf was fed delicious meats. Even though, Zelda was occupied with taking care of the wolf, she still wondered about Ike. "Oh Ike…I do hope you're safe…hmm?" The princess looked down at the wolf who looked back at her. "You know…you're my first actual pet," Zelda said. "Hmm…though I wonder what I should call you." The wolf merely snorted in response.

"Hmm?" Zelda thought for a moment. "Would you be okay if I just called you 'Wolf'?"

The wolf snort once again before he leaned on the bed and closed his eye. Zelda smiled softly. "Alright then…Wolf will be your name," Zelda said as she started to stroke Wolf's fur. Wolf stiffened a bit at her touch, however, once he got comfortable, Wolf let out a soft purr. His tail slightly flicked at her touch. As she was busy petting Wolf, her mind drifted back to Ike. She looked out the window and noticed the evening night sky. "Oh Ike…where are you…?"

______________________________________________________________________________

Meanwhile, outside in the small alcove near the mouth of Zora's river. Ike had fallen asleep. One strong arm was now laying on the maiden's waist. His chest slightly moved up and down as he was breathing lightly. Zelda was sleeping lightly on top of Ike's chest. Though he was shirtless at the moment since he was using his tunic as a pillow, he still had his pants on. Zelda, still fully dressed, was currently using Ike's cape as a blanket. Her head was directly below his neck. She opened her eyes, which went from a soft blue hue to a crimson one. Her skin slightly paled as her hair was now a silvery color.

"I may not be the real one…" she said, "but as a doppelganger…Dark Zelda, who am I, shall do my best to keep you with me…Lord Ike, my love. And no one…shall take you from me." Dark Zelda smirked as she slowly closed her dark red eyes and went back to sleep.

_End of chapter! _

_Chapter Seventeen: A Kiss in the Dark_

_"Ike is mine! And I will kill you if you touch him again!"_


	17. Chapter 17: A Kiss in the Dark Part One

_Um...I think I confused some of the readers here. No one has had sex if that's what you're thinking. That is all._

**A Hero's Creed**

**Chapter Seventeen: A Kiss in the Dark Part One**

Morning soon arrived. The sun's rays lightly touching the calm land of Hyrule. Dark Zelda looked over at the sleeping Ike before her. She leaned over and kissed him lightly on the lips. Slowly, the dark princess got off from Ike, covered him in his cape, and walked off. Ike moaned slightly as he opened his eyes. He stretched lightly as he sat right up. However, he noticed the lack of body mass which was on him last night. "Zelda?" Ike let out as he looked around. "Zelda? Where are you?" At that moment a large rock had hit Ike square between the eyes. The blue haired mercenary let out a yell as he touched his now bruised face.

"There are you…" scowled a female voice. "We've been searching all over for you!"

Once Ike regained his eyesight, he looked over at a rather peeved Sheik. Sheik placed her hands on her hips as she glared at Ike.

"Huh?" Ike let out. "Sheik?"

"Duh!" Sheik let out. "So…all this time…this is where you were. Do you know how worried we were about you?! Ugh! It pisses me off how worried the princess was."

"The princess?" Ike let out as he got off from the ground. He looked around him.

"What are you doing?" Sheik asked.

"Looking for Zelda…she was here! Is she with you?"

At that moment, Sheik looked at Ike with a bewildered look on her face. She couldn't believe the things coming out of Ike's mouth. "Are you stupid or something?" Sheik asked. "First off…the princess is in the castle. Second of all, I was sent here to look for you. Third, I don't know what happened to you, but it sure made you dumber than usual."

"The princess was here with me…" Ike said.

"That's not possible! The princess has been in the castle all this time. She has been worried sick because of you. Thankfully her new pet did keep her occupied and kept her from transforming into me and running off to look for you."

"She was here with me…I swear," Ike replied as he looked at the ground. "She…was here…wasn't she?"

"You must be hallucinating. Anyway…it doesn't matter…we should be heading back. Your father would like to talk to you…but not until you present yourself to the princess. Gah! How can you live with yourself for worrying her so much?"

"Alright…let's go." Without another word, Ike decided to follow Sheik towards the castle. Hidden in the shadows, Dark Zelda looked at the figure of Ike and Sheik. Her mind started to question many things. She felt a strange tingling in her heart that she couldn't ignore.

"It seems...that her guard is returning to her..." she said to herself, "I can't attack...not now...I'll have to wait until he's no longer near the princess...I...I don't want to hurt Ike." Dark Zelda would wait hidden in the alcove until Ike was out of sight.

As they walked, Ike's mind was trying to register the events that happened last night. Last night, he remembered the rain…he remembered the small fire he did…and he remembered the princess. He remembered her touch. His rough lips brushing against her soft, rouged ones. Her silky hair tangled within his fingers as her fingers massaged his back. Ike became slightly flustered as he remembered their hot kisses from last night.

The princess was not one to be so rough, but last night, her kisses were so passionate. It was as if she was a completely different person. The only thing that got to Ike was the fact that whenever he looked into her eyes…they seem to glow a strange red hue. Of course, the blue haired mercenary dismissed that thought as he blamed the poor lighting from the campfire. Once the duo arrived at the castle, Ike was greeted by an entire cast.

"Ike…where have you been?" Impa asked. "The whole group, including some of the Greil Mercenaries have been looking for you."

"Heh…" Ike let out as he scratched his head, "sorry about that."

"You idiot…" Link let out as he crossed his arms, "you had Zelda all worried."

"I said I was sorry!"

"Ike…you took quite a while to return…" Samus added in.

"Ike! There you are!!" Sonic let out as he ran towards Ike, jumped over him and landed on his back. "Zelda was so worried! I thought something bad happened to ya!"

"Gah! S-Sonic!" Ike let out. "Don't jump on me like that!"

"I knew you were not dead," Lucario said, "however…to locate your aura was rather hard…though quite obvious."

"Enough, you guys!" Sheik let out. "He needs to see Zelda…now!"

In a quick and sudden movement, Sheik took down Sonic from Ike's back, pushed everyone away from the mercenary, and pushed him towards the direction of the castle hallways. Ike and Sheik arrived at Zelda's front door. Sheik knocked softly on the great oak door then dashed off, leaving Ike to fend for himself. Zelda opened the door to her room. Her eyes were looked on Ike's figure before she hugged him tightly. She shivered lightly.

"Ike, I was so worried…" Zelda said. "When you disappeared like that…I…I thought you were in trouble. I prayed…to the goddesses for your safety."

Ike was left baffled. He slowly brought his arms up to hold the princess in his arms. Her shivering body stimulated his senses from yesterday. _Zelda…_he thought, _you were there with me. I swear you were…did you….? What happened? Yesterday…you were so cold…now you're all warm. Did I hallucinate all of the events? It couldn't be…all that felt real…_

As Zelda hugged Ike, she could feel his uneasiness. She had a feeling that something was bothering him. She moved away from him to look into his eyes. "Ike," she said in a soft tone, "is something bothering you? You seem troubled…"

Ike let out a soft sigh. He was trying his best to come up with a good explanation about what happened yesterday. However, it seemed every scenario he was thinking about, only lead to him sounding like a crazed man. "It…it's nothing," Ike said softly.

"You sure?" Zelda asked.

"Yeah…I'm sure…." Ike said. "I…it was raining and I stayed in a small alcove near Zora's River. I stayed there all night. I'm sorry…I worried you."

"It's alright…" Zelda hugged Ike once more. She smiled happily as she was able to feel him again. "As long as you're safe, that's all that matters."

Ike rested his chin on Zelda's head. He closed his eyes as he held her tightly. "So am I…" he responded. A soft growl interrupted his peace. He slowly opened his eyes to see a bandaged up wolf glaring at him. Ike moved back a bit as he dragged Zelda with him. "Zelda…be careful!" Ike let out. "I don't think you should…"

"Ike, it's alright," Zelda said as she released her hug from Ike and walked over to Wolf. She kneeled next to the lupine and caressed his head. "This is my pet, Wolf. He was found yesterday and well…now he is mine. The poor thing was so hurt…I thought he was going to die. Wolf…" Zelda looked at Wolf with soft, yet stern eyes, "you should be in bed. You're injured and shouldn't be walking around yet." Wolf just looked at her and snorted slightly. His stoic eye seemed to be grumpy. He looked back up at Ike and growled at him softly before he crawled back into his small bed and laid there. His eye locked onto the figure of Ike, never leaving him from his sight.

"That wolf…" Ike said as he looked back at Wolf, "he keeps staring at me."

"Oh…he's only trying to get adjusted to you," Zelda said. "When I found him, he was so scared….he was confused because he's in a foreign place. He only needs to adjust to this place. So far, he seems so sweet. I'm the only one he allows to pet him."

"I..don't know..." Ike replied back, "but...as long as it doesn't attack you...then I should be fine with it."

"Heh...thank you, Ike." Zelda hugged Ike once more. Her smile never fading. She was glad to have him back. Link watched from a distance. He smiled at the loving couple, however, the smile was dropped as he examined them.

"Link?" came a soft voice. Link snapped out of his trance and looked behind him to find Samus. "Hey...what are you doing?"

"Oh...heh..." Link chuckled slightly as he scratched his head cutely, "I was wondering if Ike was able to make it up to the princess. I...never want to see Zelda...that upset ever again."

Samus merely smiled at Link. "You know...for a lowly guardian...you really take your job seriously," Samus said. "I never seen an employee care so much for his employer."

"I suppose...it's because she made me see...many things I could never see before. Things I couldn't put my fingers on. Because of her...I do have a purpose in life...and for that, I owe her my life. Call it unwavering loyalty or stupidity, I don't care...it is my job and it is my destiny to fulfill that prophecy she spoke about."

Samus' smile faded slightly, but it was still there. Link examined her slight expression.

"You don't...believe any of this...do you?" he asked.

The bounty huntress looked away for a moment. "It's not really that..." she responded, "it's more like, I can't believe it until I see it. Until I actually see this prophecy in motion, I'm only going to take this with a grain of sand."

Link glared at Samus. He was not happy with her reply. Samus looked back at Link and chuckled slightly.

"Don't be mad," Samus responded as she placed a hand on Link's head.

Link jerked away in an angry manner. "You must think I'm some sort of an idiot, huh?" he scowled, "just because I'm younger than you!"

"Oh..." Samus chuckled more before ruffled Link's blond mane. Link scowled slightly. However, Samus placed a hand under his chin and lifted his face to meet with hers. Link let out a slightly blush from her touch. "Don't be mad, Link..." she said softly. "I don't think that way...remember?"

"I know..." Link's eyes trail away from Samus, "just that...I wish you could believe me now."

"Maybe...you'll prove me wrong. As for now...I'll support you in whatever you want."

"And I..." Link looked back at Samus, "I'll help you...in whatever you need."

Samus smiled softly at Link. Link blushed in response. He kept looking at her with his soft eyes. Everything about Samus was beautiful. From her golden bangs down to her dainty toes. Link felt compelled to lean closer to her. He wasn't too sure about it, but he, for once, wanted to kiss Samus. He was hesitant to do so since Samus has a tendency to want personal space, even if Link accidentally touched her or grabbed her by surprise, the bounty huntress was not used to being touched. So instead of kissing her, he smiled back at her. "We should get back to training," he said in a soft, yet sadden tone. _I won't do it...until she wants me to, _he thought as he pulled away from Samus.

"Alright...let's go now," was Samus' reply. Both warriors left the castle hallway and headed towards their training ground in Hyrule Field.

After talking with Princess Zelda, Ike left the princess to tend to her sick pet. However, once Ike arrived at Kakariko Village he was greeted by a rather distressed and angry Mist. Once Mist had seen Ike arrive at the village, she quickly scurried over to him and hugged him tightly. She pulled away and slapped Ike. "Ike!" Mist shouted. "Where have you been?! We've been all worried about you!"

"Not me..." Shinon murmured to Gatrie. Gatrie was doing his best not to laugh at the comment since it sounded quite mean.

"Mist..." Ike responded, "calm down..."

"How can I calm down when you disappeared like that?!" Mist shouted out. "And poor Zelda...she was so worried about you! What type of a boyfriend are you?!"

"B-boyfriend?!" Ike let out, slightly shocked.

"That's what you are...aren't you?! You said you loved her and such then she must be your girlfriend. If she isn't...then...you're horrible!"

"Mist..." Ike said, "please don't shout...people...are starting to watch now..."

From the corner of his eyes, Ike could see random villagers staring at him. Many were shocked to hear that this young man was currently courting the princess. Many started to murmur about that. At that moment, Greil appeared and placed a strong hand on Mist's shoulder.

"Huh? Dad?" Mist asked as she looked up at her strong father.

"I think your brother learned his lesson," Greil said with a smile, "so...if you excuse us...we need to get going."

"Are you going to train?"

"No...today we're going hunting," Greil said, "the boys seems restless today and I decided to give them a chance to relax."

"Oh...Dad, you know I hate the thought of you killing small animals..." Mist said.

"I know...but you gotta eat somehow and what do we eat?"

"...animals..." Mist responded.

"Exactly," Greil said. "Now...don't be sadden."

"Who's going?" Ike asked.

"All my men," Greil responded.

"All your men? Even Rolf?" Mist let out. "Dad, you can't let Rolf go! He's only a child and..."

"Settle down, Mist," Greil said. "Shinon insisted he'd go."

"Shinon? Why?"

"Don't know...but I don't pry into the affairs of my men."

"That's a lie..." Ike responded.

"Yeah...that's true," Greil agreed with Ike as he nodded. "Well...there is only one thing to do now: gather the men, Ike...we're leaving now. Rhys will stay with Mist to take care of the house."

Without a moment to lose, Ike had gathered the rest of the mercenaries to go on a hunting trip. Once they were equip, they all set off towards the Lost Woods. As they walked, Ike could sense a strange sense come over him. "I get the feeling..." Ike said softly to himself, "...something horrible happened." Much to his intuition, Ike was right. As they mercenaries passed through the woods, they found trails blood on the ground. Mud, fur, hair, and foreign meat laid on the ground, like a horrible massacre happened. Shinon approached the bloodied mess and examined it.

"Looks...like something...died here," Shinon commented, "by the looks of it...several beasts were here...possibly wolves..."

"Wolves?" Boyd let out.

"Yeah...and it seems...however was here...ran off in that direction," Shinon replied as he pointed towards a dark part of the woods.

"Hmm...it seems...we need to be careful now," Greil commented. "Be ready men...there are foul beast roaming around."

Rolf whimpered slightly as he heard what might have happened. However, Oscar reassured him that everything was going to be alright. The elder sibling lifted Rolf up on his horse. "There," Oscar said softly, "now you'll be safe from those wolves."

"Thank you, Oscar..." Rolf commented as he leaned back on Oscar.

The Greil Mercenaries looked around the woods. Hours would pass in which eventually the mercenaries hunted down two deers, a couple of rabbits, a couple of squirrels, and some wild birds. A small white rabbit hopped merrily in the grassy area. Shinon smirked as he readied his bow and arrow. He took aim at the small rodent. "Looks like I'm getting us some dinner, Gatrie," Shinon said smugly, "which means you owe me a dinner."

"Oh no!" Gatrie responded. "I'm getting that dinner first!" Gatrie readied his javelin and aimed at the tiny rabbit.

"Gatrie...that javelin is going to go through the rabbit, making a huge hole on it."

"Yeah...so?"

"There is not going to be much dinner in that!"

"Yeah...well...I'm not owing dinner! So...that rabbit will be mine!"

Ike had no comment to add in. Greil just leaned against a tree and watched the commotion going on between the two men. Shinon aimed at the tiny rabbit. A smirk creeped up against his lips as he knew this shot was going to be the killing shot. As Shinon released his arrow, Gatrie, who took aim with his javelin unleashed his javelin. The larger weapon managed to block the arrow, causing it to bounce off the wood, breaking the arrowhead from the actual shaft, and falling to the ground. The javelin missed the rabbit by a mere couple of inches. The rabbit looked over at the group, cringed its nose, and hopped off.

Shinon saw the entire seen and growled as he missed his shot. The thing that angered Shinon the most was the fact that his arrow, his perfectly aimed arrow actually missed his shot. The magenta haired man growled as he turned over to Gatrie. "Gatrie!" Shinon hissed through gritted teeth, "you made me miss my shot!"

"I made you miss?" Gatrie asked in a harsh tone, "you distracted me."

"Gah! I'm going after that rabbit!" Shinon ran off to catch the rabbit.

"Not unless I get that rabbit first!" Gatrie responded as he chased after the rabbit as well.

"This is not going to end good..." Oscar responded.

"Heh..." Ike let out, "surprises me that Boyd didn't go chasing after that rabbit..."

"Hey! Wait for me!" Boyd shouted as he ran after the rabbit as well. Ike stopped himself in mid sentence as he watched his companion run off to get a rabbit. He sighed as he placed a hand on his forehead and shook his head. The remaining Greil men were left in that part of the woods, waiting for the end results of Gatrie, Shinon, and now Boyd's competition to kill the rabbit.

Shinon ran off to hide somewhere, trying to capture the rabbit with sneak techniques. Boyd tripped and fall on his knees, leaving Gatrie to go after the rabbit. Gatrie tried his best to catch up to the rabbit. With his lance in his hand, he tried his best to stab the rabbit. With the armor on him, it was difficult for the blond haired mercenary to get even close to the rabbit. "Sl-slow down!" Gatrie shouted. "I...I can't catch up! M-miserable little rabbit..."

The tiny rabbit hopped away, but stopped once it jumped onto a stone platform in the forest. Gatrie smiled as he approached the rabbit, unaware of the small body of water underneath him. Gatrie fell in into the small pond. The white rabbit cocked its head then hopped away. Gatrie sank to the bottom of the pond. He struggled to swim up, but due to his heavy armor, he couldn't swim up. He tried his best to undo his armor, before he ran out of air. From the corner of his eye, a strange fish was swimming close to him. He chose to ignore it. Try as he may, he couldn't get out of his armor. He was losing breath. The entire world around Gatrie turned black. He closed his eyes to let death embrace him.

Gatrie felt wet hands on his face. They felt, at first, soothing, then they started to hurt. "Ow!" Gatrie let out.

"Oh good...you're awake!" came a female voice. "For a moment there...I thought you died."

Gatrie slowly opened his eyes. He looked directly above him to see, what appeared to him, as a water nymph. The fish woman looked down on him with a rather calm look. Her soft, purple eyes were gazing into Gatrie's blue eyes. Upon what would be considered her ears, was a pair of earrings which tangled down like jewels. She bore no clothing, so her body was bare. Gatrie blushes slightly as he took notice that the fish woman was quite beautiful.

"Well?" the woman let out. "Aren't you gonna get up?"

"Did...you save me?" Gatrie asked.

"Uh...yeah," the fish woman replied rather sarcastically, "who else did?"

"Ah...I see, well...thank you my dear maiden. Will you grant me the honor of your name?"

"Ruto..." the woman replied.

"Ruto? Such a lovely name for a lovely maiden such as yourself. On behalf of my servitude, I, Gatrie owe you my life."

"Heh...that's fine. Anyway...I should get going. Bye!" Ruto dove back into the pond and swam off through a hidden alcove. Gatrie watched her until she disappeared. He sighed happily.

"Ruto, huh?" Gatrie said, "Such a lovely name...I need to tell Shinon!" At that point in time, Gatrie lost all interest in the rabbit.

Shinon hid within the bushes of the forest. He crawled on his stomach, edging towards the rabbit. He smirked as he took out a small dagger from his leg sheath. The white rabbit was busy nibbling on some grass, minding its own business. Its ears perked up as it heard Shinon move, however, it ignored that sound when Shinon stopped in place. He tried to slow down his breathing as he watched the rabbit. Once the rabbit relaxed, Shinon took the opportunity to get up and pounce on the rabbit. Just as he was about the reach the rabbit, the sniper's foot triggered a trap.

He fell down into a pothole. "Gah!" Shinon shouted as he slowly regained his composure. He looked up from the hole, and there was the white rabbit looking down at him. The rabbit turned around and stuck its tail at Shinon. Before the sniper would know it, small little black lumps fell on him. "You little piece of....!" Shinon shouted as he tried to climb up from the whole. The rabbit merely hopped away.

Boyd had finally caught up to the rabbit. He panted lightly as he tried to catch the rabbit with his hands. "Come back...here you...!" Boyd hissed from his labored breaths. Try as he may, the rabbit was quite fast on its paws. As Boyd chased after the rabbit, a very dirty Shinon approached him and started to chase after the rabbit as well. Very soon, Gatrie followed suit without his armor.

Shinon's eyes strayed over to Gatrie. "Gatrie..." Shinon said, "where is your armor?"

"Oh, Shinon...it's a long story but..." Gatrie sniffed the air, "ugh...what smells like crap?"

"The rabbit!" Shinon barked.

"No...I'm pretty sure it's you, Shinon," Boyd said, "the smell seems to be coming from you."

"Boyd...if you don't shut up I'll...."

At the moment, the three men had ambushed the poor white rabbit against a stone wall. It looked back at them with innocent eyes. Shinon took out his dagger, Boyd readied his ax, and Gatrie had been staring off into space thinking about a certain savior of his. Just as Boyd and Shinon were about to pounce on the rabbit a soft voice rang out.

"There you are, Sheeda!" it called out. The small rabbit perked up its ears and hopped off towards the direction of the voice. Marth scooped up the rabbit in his arms and chuckled. "Oh, Sheeda....I've been looking all over for you, you had me worried," Marth responded. He looked over at the trio. "Oh! Hi guys! I didn't know you were going to be in the forest. "This is my bunny, Sheeda. Isn't she cute?"

"That...thing...." Shinon let out as he glared at the rabbit, "is MY dinner!!"

"You will not do such a thing," Marth replied as he moved Sheeda away from Shinon, "Sheeda's my pet."

"No use into talking to him..." Lyn said as she appeared from the dark part of the forest, "he loves that thing too much to realize it's food."

"Hmph!"

"Hey....uh..." Boyd said, "aren't you two suppose to be delivering something?"

"We are," Lyn responded, "but we were attacked by those derranged wolves. It was a close one, but we managed to take them down. Right now...we're just resting. Still...what are you guys doing here anyway? Hunting?"

Boyd nodded. "Yeah...but sad to say...it seems the rabbit has been called for."

Shinon scoffed as he started to walk off back towards their group. Gatrie followed Shinon, leaving Boyd with Marth and Lyn. Boyd quickly jerked around and noticed that he was left behind by his companions. He said his farewells to the duo then caught up with Shinon and Gatrie.

Back with group, Oscar, Greil, Ike, and Rolf searched around the area they were in. Rolf looked around the forest, hoping to find an animal. He hadn't had a chance to hunt anything, even so, he was not too sure about killing a small, innocent animal. As Rolf continued to walk, he heard a soft sound emitting from the forest. He was not too sure, but it sounded like music. On instinct, Rolf began to follow the source of the music.

"Rolf!" Oscar let out, "wait!"

Rolf ignored Oscar's cries and began to run deeper into the woods. He ran passed the Lost Woods and made his way over to a strange area. It was a clearing which seemed to lead to a maze. Still following his ears, Rolf went through the maze, avoiding any strange flora he found on the ground. At the end of the maze was a row of stone steps. The youth climbed up the steps, as if hypnotized by the music. The green haired child reached the end of the maze and into a small grove.

On the ground was a strange pedastal with a symbol on it. Strange orbs floated around the area, giving an eerie feel to atmosphere. A broken tree branch hung around what appears to be a broken stairway which lead to an open doorway. Situated underneath the tree branch was a tree stump. Sitting on the tree stump was a young girl, who seemed no older than Rolf. Her vivid green hair was bobbed and held together by a diadem. Her clothing consisted of a green short, boots, and shorts. She was busy playing her small ocarina which at the time, seemed to be enchanting a fox by her feet. The fox looked away from the girl and saw Rolf.

The girl stopped play the ocarina and saw Rolf. "Ah...hello," she said softly, "I never seen you around the woods before. You're not a Kokiri, are you?"

"No...I'm a Beorc," Rolf replied, "what's a Kokiri?"

"A child of the forest. That is what I am. What brings you here to the Sacred Grove?"

"I...I heard a song...and I followed it," Rolf responded.

"Ah! I was playing just a while ago. Whenever...I'm in the woods...I feel...at peace. This is a song I always have played since I could remember. If you get an instrument I could teach you the song. That way...if you ever get lost in the woods, I can help you."

"Really?" Rolf let out.

"Of course...you seem to be a nice guy," the girl smiled at him. "I know...let's be friends. My name is Saria...what's yours?"

"I'm Rolf!"

"Rolf? That's a nice name. As a symbol of our friendship..." Saria searched her pockets. She took out a small wooden ocarina from them and handed it over to Rolf, "I want you to take this ocarina. It belonged to a friend of mine. While he was on a journey...he dropped it. I know...he didn't mean to lose it and he was sadden when he did...but...I want you to have it. It will mean a lot to me."

Rolf looked at the tiny ocarina once it was passed over to him. "It looks pretty," he replied. "I wish I knew what to give you."

"There is one thing you can..." Saria said as she looked at the little fox, "this little guy is named Fox. He's a very special friend of mine. He's a magical fox and he needs help breaking a curse on him. I can not break the curse myself, but maybe...you can. So...I want you to take him with you. He shouldn't stay here in the woods any longer...he doesn't belong in such a dangerous place."

"Okay..." Rolf placed the ocarina into his pocket and carried the fox in his arms. As he began to walk off, he turned around one last time to say good bye to Saria, she was gone. Confused and slightly shocked, Rolf left the Sacred Grove and returned to the Lost Woods. Waiting outside was Ike.

"Rolf! There you are," Ike said, "we've been looking all over for you." Ike's eyes trail down to the small fox in Rolf's arms. "Hey...you caught yourself an animal..and you tamed it. That's great. This will make it much easier for us to skin him."

Upon hearing that comment, Fox let out a whimper. His entire body stiffened. Rolf jerked away from Ike. "No!" Rolf let out. "Fox is my friend! I won't let you hurt him!"

Ike looked at Rolf than at Fox. He sighed as he smiled at them. "Alright...I suppose I can let you keep him...but only if you promise to take good care of him."

"I will!" Rolf replied. "I'll take good care of him!"

Ike looked at the sky and noticed that it was getting dark. "We should head back now. You should go back to Kakariko...I'll be going to Hyrule."

The Greil Mercenaries assembled in the forest and headed out back onto the field. Once they reached the fork which split into two roads, Ike said his farewells to his companions and headed off to Hyrule Castle Town Market. Ike sighed as he walked into town. Eventually he arrived at the castle in which he was greeted by his companions and Zelda. He smiled softly at the princess once they were alone. He leaned over and kissed her softly.

"Ike...." came a harsh voice. Ike and Zelda broke away from their kiss to see Dark Zelda standing before them. In her hands was a small flame. "Ike is mine! And I will kill you if you touch him again!" Dark Zelda let out a yell as she ran towards Zelda slamming the flame towards the princess.

_End of chapter! _

_Chapter Eighteen: A Kiss in the Dark Part Two_

_"If you kill the princess...I can help you...have him."_


	18. Chapter 18: A Kiss in the Dark Part Two

_Oh wow…this chapter went on much more than I thought. Anyway, this was suppose to be the last part of the Dark Zelda saga, but because of the content, it was pushed back. So there will be another chapter which will be the final piece to the Dark Zelda saga. I hope you enjoy it._

**A Hero's Creed**

**Chapter Eighteen: A Kiss in the Dark Part Two**

Zelda screamed as the fire connected against her body. The dark flames singed parts of her dress. She pulled away from her shadow. Dark Zelda smiled wickedly as she attacked Zelda fiercely. Each one of her fiery hands tried to pierce and burn the princess. Zelda winced slightly as she dodged another hand. In return, Zelda countered with a spell of her own. Blue crystals surrounded her and floated around her, creating a blue shield which stopped all incoming magic from her dark self.

Dark Zelda screamed as a blue crystal pierced her hand. The attack managed to cut her slightly, leaving a horrible after burn from the magic. She glared at the princess. Zelda extended her hand towards Dark Zelda in a matter of moments, the blue crystals which surrounded Zelda flew from her body to zip towards Dark Zelda.

Dark Zelda closed her eyes. A green light emerged from her feet as she began to twirl. A strange red ribbon wrapped around her body as the dark doppelganger disappeared from sight. The crystals collided with each other since they lost their target. Zelda stood baffled as she saw her dark shadow disappeared. _Where did she go? _thought the princess. At that moment, a bright green light appeared behind Zelda. Emerging from the light was the dark shadow.

Zelda slowly turned around, only to meet her gut with a sharp heel from Dark Zelda. Dark Zelda smiled wickedly as she infused magic into that heel. Zelda let out a grunt as she was sent flying against the stone wall. Dark Zelda rushed over to the princess and began to assault her. Ike rushed in, Ragnell in hand. Dark Zelda and Zelda looked at Ike. Immediately they stopped fighting. Ike extended his sword, however he had no idea who was the real princess.

"They look alike…" he said.

"Ike!" Called out one of the princesses, "She is the shadow…please go after her!"

"She lies!" Shouted the other princess, "She's the imposter…don't let her get away!"

The more Ike looked at them, the more frustrated he became. He couldn't decide which woman was the real princess. "Stop!" Ike called out. "Only one of you…is the real one…but if one of you is suppose to be a perfect copy of the other…I won't bother to ask a question about the royal family. Instead…I'll want to know…about something we did together that only the REAL princess knows."

The two Zeldas looked at each other before they looked back at Ike. One Zelda smiled as she slightly closed her eyes. "Ike…my love," she said, "I remember…that whenever we kissed…it felt like fire coursing through my body."

Upon hearing that, the other Zelda looked at Zelda and Ike. She looked slightly disgusted with what she heard. "Ike…" she said in a somewhat stern voice, "you kissed her?"

"Zelda?" Ike asked as he saw the second Zelda. Upon closer inspection, Ike noticed the first Zelda's hand bleeding. "You're…the imposter…" Ike said as he looked towards the first Zelda's direction.

Dark Zelda glared at Ike before she ran to him and latched herself onto him. "He's mine!" Dark Zelda scowled as she glared at Zelda. "A woman like you wouldn't know how to appreciate a man like him! He…he makes me feel…" _He makes me feel real…_ she thought as she hugged Ike tighter. "He kissed me with such passion. It sickens me that a spoiled brat like you would have such a great treasure…for that…I'm fueled to kill you even more!"

"Unhand me!" Ike shouted as he tried to pull away from Dark Zelda.

Dark Zelda looked at Ike with hurt eyes. She seemed confused and slightly hurt. She released her hold on the mercenary.

"Anyone who dares to hurt Zelda…" Ike said, "shall pay…dearly. I could never fall for someone who would deliberately hurt someone for their own personal gain."

If she had an actual beating heart, it would have shattered. Dark Zelda backed away slowly. She used her dark wind attack and teleported from the castle, leaving Ike and Zelda alone. Ike let out a sigh as she thought that this fiasco was over for now. However, his eyes strayed over to a rather dishearten Zelda. "Zelda?" Ike let out. "What's the matter?"

"...you kissed her…" Zelda let out.

"Zelda…" Ike's sapphire eyes widen as he walked to the princess, "Zelda if it's about that kiss…I…"

"Ike…don't touch me…" Zelda responded as she turned from the mercenary.

Ike felt his heart sink at that moment. "Zelda…I thought she was you…you know I'd never…"

"If someone where to dress like me…would you confuse them with me too?" Zelda asked, with hurt in her voice.

"Zelda…I know you wouldn't believe me or anything…but all I ask…is for you to please don't shun me from your heart. You, of all people, I care about the most. I do like my friends and I would do anything for them…but for you…I love you even more than my own life…and I'd jump to the moon and bring it back if it would make you smile. After I train each day and I get my beating…your smile is what fuels me to get up from the ground."

Zelda whimpered slightly, however she stiffen as a pair of strong arms wrapped around her like a securing blanket. Ike leaned on her gently, whispering in her ear soft words to calm her down. Tears trail down Zelda's cheeks as she turned in Ike's arms and hugged him. She buried her face onto his chest and cried gently. Ike rested his head on Zelda's head and sighed as he allowed the princess come undone. Once she settled down, Ike kissed her gently on the lips in which she responded with a kiss as well. They embraced each other, trying to comfort one another.

______________________________________________________

Back in the forest, Lyn looked at the ground. She kneeled over to inspect the ground. "Looks like we're safe…no wolf tracks anywhere," she said softly.

Marth walked over to the green haired warrioress. "So…we'll be alright to reach Ordon Farm, huh?" Marth asked.

"Yeah…we might. Thank Mother Earth too…" Lyn responded, "this trip…even though it was slightly short…has been a pain in my…aah!" Lyn lost her footing as her boot fell into a small hole. Marth rushed over to her and held her, trying to stop her from falling.

"You shouldn't walk," Marth said, "you're still hurt from the fight."

"I'm fine," Lyn responded as she tore away from Marth and continued walking, however Lyn lost her footing again. Marth rushed over and held her once more. In one swift movement, he picked up Lyn bridal style and carried her to the cart. "Hey!" Lyn let out, "I can walk!"

"No you can't…" Marth said, "you're quite injured and I don't want you to hurt yourself anymore."

"Why do you care about my well being?" Lyn asked. "I hate you…"

Marth placed Lyn on the cart gently before he looked directly into Lyn's eyes. "I don't think that's true…"

"What makes you say that?"

"Simple…the injury you have right now…is a result of you getting in the way of that wolf that attacked me. I fell to the ground, protecting Sheeda. If you truly hated me…you would have let the wolf kill me and tell Greil it was an accident. Instead, you ran in and killed him. But as a result…the other wolf managed to bite hard on your ankle. Thanks to you…Sheeda lives another day…and so do I."

Lyn looked away, "I think you give me too much credit," she responded.

"I think you deserve more…" Marth replied.

Lyn blushed slightly. She shook her head. _What's with this guy? _she thought. _He…its likes he doesn't care that I used to hate him._ Marth smiled softly. However he looked down at his pockets and noticed Sheeda flailing around.

"What's wrong, Sheeda?" Marth asked as he pulled out the tiny rabbit from his sack. "Are you hungry? I think you are!" Marth chuckled slightly as he looked in the wagon and took out a small carrot to feed Sheeda. "Here you go, Sheeda." Sheeda nibbled on the carrot before she started to devour the carrot vigorously. Lyn watched from the corner of her eye.

"You like to baby that rabbit, don't you?" Lyn asked.

"Sheeda's a special friend of mine," Marth commented, "I always wanted to have a rabbit as a pet. Didn't you have one?"

"I'm a nomad…" Lyn said, "we don't have much use for animals aside from food. The only domestic ones we'd keep were useful animals like horses and dogs. Everything else was pretty much food for us."

"Oh…I see," Marth replied, "well…I was taken to hunt a couple of times when I was young. I…I couldn't finish off that deer my father shot down. I…I really can't…bare to see another person die by my hands."

"You…really aren't a killer…are you?" Lyn said softly.

"No…even up to this day…I keep hearing the screams of your people…the ones I slaughtered. For that…I know I deserve no forgiveness. You have all the right…not to even talk to me ever again."

Lyn stood silent for a moment. She looked down at her bandaged leg, compliments of Marth, then back over at the scenery of the forest. She felt a slight sting in her heart as she remembered her tribe. She slowly looked back at Marth. "It doesn't matter anymore…" Lyn responded, "what's done is done…all we can do…is look into the future."

Marth was slightly confused, but rather glad at Lyn's response. His soft, serene smile could show Lyn that he was quite happy to hear that. Lyn sighed softly before she smiled back at him.

"Thank you, Lyn…" Marth said, "this…makes me want to live more now."

"Yeah…now let's head over to Ordon Farm…" Lyn replied. Without further ado, the duo plus bunny, continued on their path towards the farm. Though the rest of the way they were somewhat silent, the tension between them, the strand of hate, had diminished.

Hours later, the duo arrived at a clearing in the forest. The trees were cut, allowing light to shine upon a small farm in the isolated woods. The small river ran beside the small cottage, allowing a watermill to turn. The yellow straw roof of the cottage differed from the wooden, brown roof of the barn. In front of the cottage were patches of vegetables which were lined up in a row.

Tending to the vegetables was a gruff looking man with a scruffy, blond beard. Several grey hairs stood out. He wiped the sweat from his balding brow before he continued to work. Lyn approached the farmer. "Um, excuse me," she said softly.

The man turned around and noticed Lyn. He smiled softly before he leaned on the hoe he was using. "Well good afternoon there," he said in a deep tone of voice, "what brings a youn' lady like yourself here?"

"My name is Lyn and I came here to deliver some milk from Lon Lon Ranch," Lyn responded.

"Oh! The milk I asked for," the farmer let out, "this is good. My family and I have been wanting that all good milk. It's hard for us to come by and go into town to get any."

"That's really odd," Marth said, "why would you and your family be living out here?"

"Well…" the farmer spoke as he stroked his beard, "you see I've been meaning to have a good place to farm for a while. This forest has quite some nutritious soil here. The plants seem to love it so. Come harvest time, I have the best vegetables anyone has ever seen. So I dare not leave this place. It would be nice if more people started to come here. Maybe this small area might become a town one day."

"It might be," Marth responded.

"Either way, I can't move from this place. My wife had a child recently; a baby girl. We named her Ilia. I see great things coming down our bloodline for her," the farmer chuckled, "maybe one day her descendants might even own the future town of Ordon."

Marth couldn't help but chuckle at the thought. "I'm sure they will."

_________________________________

"Hmm…." Medusa let out as she looked at the strange contraptions before her, "back when I was at full strength I didn't need any of these 'machines' to perform the rituals for the Angelus Crystals."

"That's all nice and dandy, My Lady," Vaati let out as he had his face stuck in a book, "but since you don't have your full power since that medallion is gone we have to rely on Izuka's strange methods. Still…I found that man quite odd and unreliable."

"He is," Medusa responded, "anyone from Ashnard's side is unreliable. But then again…so is Lord Ganondorf."

"What do you mean?" Vaati asked as he looked away from the book.

"My patience with either man is growing thin on me. They go around talking as if they were gods. Sure I appreciate Ashnard trying to ignite war in Tellius to power up my medallion…but he did plan to use the medallion for his own greed. A man of his caliber and madness will only go insane if touched. Only very selected few can carry that medallion such as the Herons of Serenes."

"Aren't the Herons extinct?"

"So many have said…but I heard of three that are still roaming around. It doesn't matter…the medallion is not in Tellius…its here in Hyrule."

Vaati cocked his head slightly. "If it's here in Hyrule why haven't you gone after it?"

"Why bother to do it myself when I have two underlings to do my bidding?" Medusa asked. "I already asked Dark Link to retrieve the medallion for me. He won't fail…that I promise you. Only two outcomes will come from him trying to take the medallion…either way…I shall win." Medusa smirked wickedly. "Even Palutena can not see this plan coming."

The doors to the ritual room opened widely. Both Vaati and Medusa looked over to see Dark Zelda looking at them. Tears falling down from her eyes. She ran over and embraced Vaati tightly. Vaati stiffened up as Dark Zelda hugged him tightly. She seemed to be crying. He looked over at Medusa who in turn cocked her head, signaling him to talk to her.

"Zelda…what's wrong?" Vaati asked.

"Everything…that's what is wrong," Dark Zelda whimpered. She moved her head from Vaati's chest to look at him, "I was…going to finish that princess off…but that man…Ike…he got in the way and…"

"If he got in the way…why didn't you kill him too?"

"I can't!" Dark Zelda let out, "I…I feel…strange whenever I'm near him. He kissed me.." Upon hearing that, Medusa was now interested.

"He kissed you?" Medusa asked with interest in her voice.

Dark Zelda looked over at Medusa with worried eyes. "Yes…he did…and he told me…he loved me…but…it was meant for her!"

"Oh…my poor dear shadow," Medusa said as she broke Vaati's and Dark Zelda's embraced and hugged Dark Zelda, pretending to comfort her, "don't cry anymore. I know the solution to your problem."

"You do?" Dark Zelda asked.

"Yes, my dear. I can help you…after all…I am a goddess. It's my job to help poor mortals like yourself. After all…one would have to think hard in the future…wouldn't we?"

Dark Zelda was slightly confused. "What do you mean?" She asked.

"I mean…remember that two weeks ago, were you were a tiny child…no taller than my hips?" Medusa asked.

"Yes…"

"Well…the problem is, the way you were made…you age quite rapidly. We designed you that way using the essence of an Angelus Crystal. That tiara you wear holds it. It is the reason why your body moves. You, my dear, were made from mud and blood from the princess. Though, we regret to inform you that you won't live long. You age fast. Think about this…within the following year you shall be as old as the winter. The great power you hold is so great that your body is unstable. You shall age quite rapidly if you use so much of your power. Even now…you do look older. I think…I see a wrinkle. Go look in the mirror."

Dark Zelda released her hold on Medusa. She slowly walked over to the mirror which was hanging close to the wall. Dark Zelda inspected her face and noticed that, under her eyes she did have two wrinkles. Crow's feet started to appear near the edge of her eyes and some of her platinum blond hair was turning into snowy white.

Dark Zelda's body shook as she took noticed of her age depletion. Tears started to form in her eyes as she shook her head. A loud scream emitted from her lips as she punched at the mirror. Shards of the mirror injured her already injured hand even more. Blood dripped down to the stone floor only to evaporate into dust. Dark Zelda looked at her hands before she fell down to her knees and wept. "What…what will happen to me once I die?" she asked.

"That I can't be certain, my dear," Medusa said, "though I am the goddess of the Underworld…the one that takes souls to Judgment, I can't be certain about you. You were not born…only created. You have no soul…no heart…nothing…just a mere empty shell…and the emotions that belong to the princess. That's all there is…just the shell of her emotions."

"No!" Dark Zelda shouted. "I'm real…REAL! I…I feel…I bleed…I hunger…I do everything someone real does! I can't…I can't just vanish into thin air!"

"It can happen…and it will," Medusa said, "unless…"

"Unless what?"

Medusa smirked, "Unless…you do what I ask you. If you can get the Triforce of Wisdom…it will be enough to make you a certified body. With its power…you shall have a body in which you can claim your own, along with a soul and a beating heart. With that power, I can make you a true Hylian."

"You can?!" Dark Zelda got up from the ground. She wiped away her tears.

"Of course my dear," Medusa replied, "even more so. If you kill the princess…I can help you…have him. Once she is dead, you can take her place and have Ike. Or…if you just take the Triforce of Wisdom and bring me some of Ike's blood…I can make you a lover unlike any other. I shall make a shadow of Ike and he will be outmost loyal to you. He shall honor your very whim."

Dark Zelda looked at Medusa with such happiness in her eyes, "I…I love Ike…I wouldn't want to have a replica…"

"I'm just saying this as an option…in case…he were to…oh, I don't know, accidentally pass away in an accident. You do know that he will do everything he can to protect his lady love."

Dark Zelda looked down at the ground. Her heart felt heavy. "I…I know, but I don't want a replica…unless something bad happened to Ike. I love him…only him."

"A replica will be the same…" Medusa chuckled.

"Dark Link isn't the same as the real one," Dark Zelda responded.

"Oh, he's different. He was made differently…not a good enough copy to even have his own body for crying out loud…but you, Zelda can. Do me this favor…get me the Triforce of Wisdom and I shall make all your dreams come true."

"I will!" Dark Zelda let out. "I'll get up to it! You won't be disappointed with me!" And with that, Dark Zelda ran from the ritual room to make her way back to Hyrule Castle. Vaati watched Dark Zelda leave. His eyes trail from where her body used to be to where Medusa was.

"Are you really going to do that?" Vaati asked.

"Of course not. The Triforce of Wisdom can control and alter souls, however what a waste of power that would be. Conjuring up a soul for her will be a heavy burden and then trying to make her youthful again. We'd have to reincarnate her, even so we'll have to waste YEARS trying to raise the little brat again. It was such a bother. So…as soon as she comes back with the Triforce Piece, I'll kill her. After all, she was created for only one sole purpose…to bring back the Triforce of Wisdom. After she's done that, she won't be useful anymore."

"What will happen to…well…her spirit?"

"Nothing…it will disappear. It will be as if she didn't exist. No one will miss that shadow. So…there won't be a need to worry about that. Though…if she does return with some of Ike's blood…I can make a better shadow to use. One who will have the strength of an ox."

Vaati remained quiet as he heard Medusa explain her plans. He picked up his book and left the ritual room.

_______________________________________

Meanwhile in Kakariko Village, Mist had been busy looking at the kills the mercenaries did. She really didn't approve of hunting cute animals, unfortunately, it was their meals. She sighed as she walked over to the small kitchen area where Oscar was busy preparing that night's dinner. Standing next to Oscar was a curious, little blue hedgehog. He pocked his head from the table to watch the green haired lance warrior cut the meat.

"Whatcha doing?" Sonic asked.

"Oh, just cutting away some of the fat and tenderizing the meat before I put it in the stew," Oscar replied as he continued to work.

"Sounds interesting. Hey…think you can make me something to eat too?!"

"Well…I suppose you can have some of the stew too."

"Nah…I was thinking more along the lines of chili dogs!"

Oscar stopped for a moment to look at Sonic. He was slightly confused at the hedgehog's request. "Chili dogs? What's a 'chili dogs'?"

"What's a chili dog?!" Sonic looked at Oscar with an "are you serious?" look on his face. "You never lived until you had a chili dog! They're the most awesome of food ever!"

"If you know how to make them…perhaps you can show me so I can make you a 'chili dog' whenever you ask me to."

"R-really?" Sonic smiled.

"Of course." Oscar smiled back. "I'll gladly cook for you."

"Wow! You're a pal!" Oscar couldn't help but giggle at Sonic's comment. He was glad he now had a new friend. Mist watched was the curious blue hedgehog continued to talk to Oscar. She walked towards the front door of the house and heard a faint voice.

"csit," came a voice from the outside.

"That sounds like Rolf," Mist said as she walked outside. Sure enough, Rolf was outside. The little archer was busy talking to what appeared to be a fox. The fox cocked his head slightly before he obeyed Rolf's command and sat down. His teal eyes looked over at the figure of Mist who was approaching them fast. "Rolf!" Mist let out.

"Mist! Hi!" Rolf squealed. "Look what I found!"

Mist stopped as she looked at the fox. "Oh…he's so cute!" Mist squealed. "Can I…pet him?"

"I don't know," Rolf responded, "that's up to him. Hey Fox…can Mist pet you?"

Fox looked over at Rolf. His eyes trail over to Mist. He seemed to inspect her with his teal colored eyes. He let out a small whine, which indicated to Rolf that he was alright with it.

"He said that it's okay," Rolf said, "go ahead and pet him."

Mist kneeled on the grass next to Fox. She extended her hand and touched Fox' head fuzz. Fox stiffened at her touch, however Mist' playful fingers began to stroke and caress him gently. Fox relaxed as he let the young Beorc woman caress him. Mist smirked as she began to scratch behind his ear. Once that happened, the fox began to whimper not in pain but in delight. His leg began to thump like crazy as his tail waged uncontrollably. His body went limp as he fell to the ground and rolled on his back. Mist giggled as saw the tiny fox melt into putty in her hands. She stopped after a short while. Fox panted on the ground with a face of pure bliss.

"Heh, he seems to like that," Mist said, "oh…he's so cute! Can we keep him?"

"We have to help him," Rolf said, "he's a special fox…so you can't treat him like a baby or a doll! Fox needs our help to break a curse that's on him."

"A curse?"

"Oop! I mean…a girl in the forest…gave him to me…as a gift of friendship," Rolf said, "though…I wish…I could have given her something much greater."

Mist inspected Rolf's reaction when he was talking about Saria. She smiled slyly, "Oh Rolf…" she said, "I think you have an infatuation with your new friend."

Rolf blushed, "I do not! She's just a friend!"

"Yeah…you can keep denying it all you want. Come here, Fox…" Mist picked up Fox in her arms and held him close to her body. "Right Rolf's in denial?" Fox really couldn't reply but with a blink as Mist spoke to him. "It doesn't matter…you look hungry so I'll go feed you."

"Mist!" Rolf whined, "you said you wouldn't baby him! You're carrying him!"

"Oh…don't be such a…ooh!" Mist noticed that something fell out of her pocket. On the ground was a golden medallion with a strange blue gem in the middle of it. It glowed slightly as it laid there. Mist knelt down and placed her hand on the medallion, however a soft hand touched hers. Kneeling before Mist was Link. The Hylian hero looked up at Mist.

"Oh…" Link let out, "I saw you drop this…and decided to help you."

"I appreciate your help…" Mist replied, "but you can't touch it."

"Oh, why not?"

"I…really don't know. Father told me never to let anyone besides me to touch it. I'm sorry, but I have to obey my father."

"My mistake," Link said as he pulled his hand away from Mist's hand hesitantly. The back of his hand had the insignia of the Triforce. It started to glow strangely bright.

"Your hand…" Mist said, "it's glowing."

Link smiled at her, "I, too, have a treasure in which no one but I can touch. I have a gift from the goddesses themselves."

"Then we have something in common then," Mist said as she took up the medallion and placed it in her pocket, "we have to take good care of our gifts then."

"Of course. Either way…at least I wanted to help."

"Thank you once again. We'll see you at dinner, Link!" Mist responded as she got up from the ground. She lifted up Fox again and walked off. Fox watched Link and seemed to shiver lightly, as if feeling a strange presence. Once Mist and Rolf went back inside of the house, Link's smile vanished as he clenched his fist.

_End of chapter! _

_Chapter Nineteen: A Kiss in the Dark Part 3_

_"If I overexert my body…I shall vanished…but I have to…for Ike."_


	19. Chapter 19: A Kiss in the Dark Part Thre

_Whoot! I'm finally back with a new chapter. Sorry about that, guys, I've been busy with school again. Anyway, I hope this chapter will be as good as the last ones. I just hope this story isn't getting to be repetitive or anything like that. I don't want to lose the readers' interest. Anyway, here is the last part of the Dark Zelda saga then. Now things are going to be a lot more interesting after this._

**A Hero's Creed**

**Chapter Nineteen: A Kiss in the Dark Part Three**

Oscar had finished cooking the rest of the deer stew for that evening's meal. He stirred lightly before he started to serve the Greil Mercenaries their meals. Shinon was still sore over the rabbit hunt. He looked over at Gatrie who was spacing out. The lance knight was busy staring off into the wall, smiling goofily. Shinon wasn't too sure if he should bother him or not.

"Oh Shinon…" Gatrie said, breaking their silence.

"What, Gatrie?" Shinon asked.

"I think I'm in love with this girl. You should meet her! Her beauty is so outstanding and her body…its just so curvaceous. She's like an angel…"

Shinon didn't bother to answer. Instead he rolled his eyes and began to eat his meal. Mist walked inside, carrying Fox in her arms. "Ah!" she let out, "dinner's ready! Would you like some deer stew, Fox?" Mist looked at Fox, who in return just blinked at her. His tail slightly swished. Mist giggled as she placed him down on the wooden floor and got a bowl. Boyd looked over at Fox.

"What's that thing doing here?" he asked as he pointed at Fox with his spoon. "Did we miss one?"

"Boyd, you leave him alone!" Mist shouted as Oscar poured some of the stew in her bowl. "Fox is going to be staying with us."

"Like hell he is!" Boyd let out. "We can't afford to feed everyone, much less some dumb animal like this."

Upon hearing someone call him a dumb animal, Fox started to growl at him. Boyd sneered at him. "See? He's a wild animal!" Boyd let out.

"Leave him alone, Boyd!" Rolf shouted as he hugged Fox. "He's not a dumb animal! He's my friend…"

"Boyd, you're only making him angry," Mist hissed. She looked at Fox and smiled at him while she placed the bowl of stew in front of him. "Don't listen to him, Fox…he's just an idiot."

"I am NOT an idiot!" Boyd shouted as he pointed at Fox with his spoon again. "That fleabag will be more trouble than he's worth! I suggest we get rid of him or we kill him."

"You're NOT touching him!" Rolf shouted as he glared at his older brother.

"What's with all the shouting?" Greil asked as he walked in.

"Dad…Boyd wants us to get rid of our new pet," Mist replied with a sadden tone.

"Pet?" Greil let out. He looked over and saw Fox on the floor. Greil let out a sigh as he scratched his head. "Mist…remember that time we had that rabbit…"

"Yeah…I don't know who killed him, but we ended up eating him."

"That's because we couldn't maintain him. We're constantly on the move."

"I know…but Titania and Oscar have horses and they take care of them. Why can't Rolf and I take care of Fox? He eats less than a horse."

"I know…" Greil said, "but what purpose will he serve us? I know you love animals, Mist but the truth of the matter is that…what can this little fox do in order to earn his keep? Titania's and Oscar's horses are useful in battle. So what can…."

Greil stopped in mid sentence as he watched Fox get on all fours and walk over to him Fox trotted over and bit into Greil's belt. He pulled out his sack of money and placed it on the floor. Opening the bag carefully, Fox spills the contents of the bag onto the floor. He separates the different rupees until all of them were piled up by amount. Greil was slightly impressed by it.

"Heh...that was quite a trick," Greil said. "I didn't think the little guy could identify color. Still...what else could he do?"

Fox bit on Greil's tunic, jerking on it roughly, signaling him to follow him. It took the leader of the mercenaries to understand what the small fox wanted. He got up from his seat and followed Fox outside. Once they were in the clearing, next to the tree, Fox run a few feet away from the group then turned to face them, readying himself for anything.

"I wonder what he wants..." Greil said.

"I think its acting stupid," Boyd retorted.

"I told you, he's not stupid!" Rolf hissed as he glared at his older brother. "He's much smarter than you, that's for sure."

"Why you little..."

"Enough!" Mist shouted. "Let's see what Fox is going to do."

Fox looked at the group of mercenaries. He jolted slightly towards Shinon and bit into his belt. Shinon tried to push the vulpine away, however, Fox managed to take away the dagger for his belt. He ran away from Shinon and stopped midway towards the exit of the village. Shinon shouted as he ran after Fox, however he backed away as Fox tried to slash at him with the dagger.

Greil and the rest of mercenaries were trying to figure out what Fox was trying to do. Rolf finally got the idea when he pulled on Boyd's arm. "Boyd!" Rolf let out. "You have to fight him!"

"What?" Boyd let out. "First you told me not to hurt him...now you're telling me to fight him? What's the matter with you?"

"NO!" Rolf shouted. "He's going to fight you! So you have to defend yourself."

Boyd looked at Fox as he held the dagger in his jaws. Boyd shook his head. "There is no way that stupid creature can use a weapon...can he?"

Fox growled as he ran towards Boyd and slashed him with the dagger. The blade of the weapon cut open the bottom of Boyd's pants. Boyd widen his eyes as he looked at his open pants. Boyd hissed as he grabbed his ax and glared at Fox. "You're dead now, pal!" Boyd swung his ax like crazy, however, Fox managed to nimbly dodge out of the way and retaliate with an attack of his own. The quick witted vulpine outran Boyd and would give him slight scratches and slashes around his leg area. Greil pondered for a moment before he chuckled.

"Alright, alright..." Greil commented, "He can stay. He seems to be quite resourceful for a fuzzy creature."

"Really?! We can keep him?!" Rolf squealed in delight. "Oh, thank you, Commander! I'll take good care of him!"

"Oh my...I better make sure to get an extra bowl of food ready then," Oscar replied as he looked around for an extra bowl.

"Thank you, Dad!" Mist said as she hugged Greil. "I'll make sure he's taken care of!" Mist ran over to Fox and picked him up with ease. "Hehe, let's go now!" Mist carried off Fox towards Impa's house.

"Mist! I said not to baby him!" Rolf shouted as he followed the duo.

Zelda felt uneasy. She was like that all day. She knew that her life was in danger, but more importantly, that clone of hers was a real danger. She nervously went through her lessons that morning. Impa had caught sight of Zelda's nervousness.

"Your Highness," Impa said, "are you alright? You seem to be in distress."

"Impa…I've been thinking a lot about what is going on," Zelda responded. "I wonder…about how much more of this I can handle. Even though Father knows I've been taken, he still refuses to believe that this is Ganondorf's doing. Even more so…with that double walking around…I don't think we'll be save any time soon. When that…woman touched Ike…" Zelda clenched her fists slightly, "I didn't know what to think. I…I don't want to think about losing Ike…"

"Princess…" Impa spoke, "you were jealous."

"I was?"

"You do know that Sir Ike would never leave you. He cares about you…a little too much than a mercenary should to his employer, but it doesn't surprise me. You have a way into charming people. Don't worry so much about losing him. I really doubt he'd ever want to leave."

Walking around in the garden, Wolf was looking at his new surroundings. It had been a while since he was about to walk around freely. The guards would often cower in fear as Wolf would pass by. Wolf would snort and ignore them as he continued his own tour of the castle garden. As he walked, a slight sound caught his attention. Perking up his ear, Wolf walked over to the castle courtyard. Poking his head, he saw Princess Zelda and Impa talking.

Before he walked inside, a strange chirping sounded off. Wolf looked above him to see a shadow fly over. A small blue jay hovered over Wolf. It delicately swooped over to Impa.

"You…really think he wouldn't?" Zelda asked. "He was suppose to be here only for a year. Even though…I knew that…I secretly wished he would stay. I shouldn't have fallen in love with a mercenary, but I couldn't resist him. He has such a sweet smile…and whenever he holds me…I always feel so safe. He is a big comfort for me."

"Hmm…" Impa chuckled slightly, "you're in love. At first I thought it was only an infatuation…but now I know for certain that you really do love him."

"Is it wrong of me?" Zelda asked.

"No…love isn't something one should be ashamed of…but…"

The tiny blue jay swiftly lands on Impa's shoulder. Impa turned her head and chuckled softly as she petted the bird on her shoulder. Zelda gazed at the tiny little bird. Its feathers were a nice shade of sapphire blue. Around the blue jay's eye area were rouge colored feathers. The tiny bird shook its head lightly as it looked at the princess.

"Impa…what's with that bird?" Zelda asked.

"Oh, I never told you about him, have I?" Impa said. "Your Highness, this tiny bird is Falco. He is my messenger bird in which Sheik and I communicate with. He's been usually popping in once in a while. Falco…please greet the princess."

The tiny blue bird, Falco looked at Zelda. He cocked his head slightly as he examined her. Zelda extended her hand. Her gloved fingers touched Falco's azure feathers. She smiled and giggled slightly as she could somewhat feel the softness of the feathers. "Oh…Falco, your feathers are so soft," Zelda giggled, "it is a pleasure to meet you."

Falco shook lightly at her touch. He chirped in response as Zelda stopped caressing him.

"Where did you get him?" Zelda asked.

"Hehehe…well, it was a long story," Impa responded, "and it was Sheik's story…she's the one who found him."

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­

Sheik panted softly as she ran through the field. Hyrule field was covered completely in snow. Slight puffs would appear in front of Sheik, seeping through her mask. She had to hurry if she were to reach the castle gate before it closed on her. "I have to get to the castle," she huffed, "I need to make sure that Zelda is protected! Auntie Impa is going to kill me if I don't make it!"

As Sheik scurried through the snowy field, a strange shadow loomed over her. Sheik looked up to see something flying at a strange angle. Sheik stopped running as her eyes kept on the object in the sky. Within moments, the object smacked against Sheik's head, knocking her over. She touched her head and shook it lightly. Looking over she saw a tiny blue bird sprawled on the snow. It squirmed around as if trying to live, but was losing the battle.

"Poor little guy…" Sheik said. She slowly moved her hand to touch the fallen bird. Just as she was about to touch him, the blue bird shook violently as if trying to push her away from him. Sheik pulled her hand away as soon as the bird started to flay around. She watched as the tiny bird tried to pick itself up from the ground, but just couldn't. Taking in a deep breath, Sheik swooped up the bird and placed it in a satchel which she carried around her waist. She winced at the pecks the bird did when she grabbed it, but chose to ignore it.

Continuing her running, Sheik arrived at the gate, only to see it close in front of her. "Damn!" Sheik let out. "I would jump over and climb in, but with the bird…I don't think it will be wise. It might fall out of my satchel." The blond Sheikah lost her chain of thought as she noticed her ground next to her shift slightly. A small mound formed from the dusty ground. Seeping through the ground were bony fingers. The bony fingers looked rather rotten and dirty from both blood and mud. Knowing too well what was emerging from the ground, Sheik decided it would be wise to make a dash to Kakariko. Handling one Stall Child would be easy, but handling a group of them would be another story. Picking up her previous pace, the Sheikah guardian made a mad dash towards Kakariko Village. She didn't stop until she reached Impa's house. Once inside, Sheik quickly made a small fire by the fireplace and took out the bird from her satchel to take a good look at it.

The blue bird wasn't moving much. Fearing that it was passing away, Sheik quickly searched through the medical cabinets for anything to mend the bird with. "Don't die on me," Sheik said as she brought back some bandages, needle and thread, and other medical items, "Just hang on. I promise you won't die tonight." Trying as much as she could, she tried to mend the tiny bird back to health. The blue bird was stubborn, refusing Sheik to help him. "Please…just…let me help you," Sheik said, "You shouldn't die tonight…"

The bird looked at her as if understanding what she was saying and what she was doing. With a weak chirp, it relaxed, allowing Sheik to heal him. Once she was finished, Sheik stayed up the rest of the evening watching over the bird, hoping it would be alive in the morning. She watched the tiny bird breath lightly. Its blue chest expanding as it took deep breaths in its sleep. Once morning came, the tiny bird opened its cerulean colored eyes. It stared at Sheik was looked back at him. "Good morning…" she said softly, "Are you feeling well today?" The tiny bird gave off a soft chirp, stating that he was feeling better than before. Sheik smiled as she picked up the bird softly and placed him in her satchel. "Sorry, but we need to go to the castle," she said, "I'll get you a much better bed than the table…so be patient."

For the next weeks, Sheik had cared and nursed the blue jay. She gave him a place to sleep upon her pillow. In return, the blue jay grew healthier until one day he was able to flap his wings once more and fly. Sheik smiled as she extended her hand. The tiny bird landed gracefully on her finger and cocked its head at her. "It seems you're coming around just fine," she said, "Now…I can't call you just 'bird' all the time. You need a name. Hmm…how about Obscuro?"

Upon hearing that name the bird shook in disgust. "Heh, I think that's a 'no' for you," Sheik commented, "well…how about Joshua? Nocturne? Sonata?" All the names Sheik would say, the tiny bird just shook in disgust. It chirped at her, making his suggestions. Sheik closed her eyes as she tried to think of what name to give her new companion. "…Fal…con?" she said. Hearing that name the bird chirped. "Falco…?" Sheik said, "You like the name, 'Falco'?" Falco chirped loudly, signaling to Sheik that he agreed with the name. "Alright," the blond stated, "Your name is Falco. Hehe…nice to meet you. You can call me Sheik." Falco greeted Sheik with a soft gnaw on her finger with his beak. From that day on, Sheik usually had Falco around her shoulder or doing errands with her.

"Oh…so that's why I always saw Sheik with a bird," Zelda said, "for a moment I thought she attracted birds to her. That was an adorable story, Impa."

"I know," Impa responded, "since then Falco has been a huge help to her. She loves this little bird as much as you love your pet wolf."

"Speaking of Wolf…I wonder where he is…"

Hearing his name, Wolf lazily walked over to Zelda. He tugged on her gown with his teeth softly to get her attention. Zelda looked down at her fuzzy companion and knelt down beside him. She placed a soft hand upon his little white Mohawk and caressed him. Wolf purred softly as he let Zelda pet him. However, his eye was locked on Falco. Falco chirped at Wolf, which in turn received a growl out of him.

"Huh?" Zelda let out. "What's the matter, Wolf?"

"You're alive?!" Wolf growled at Falco. His speech was only recognizable by Falco and other woodland creatures. "I thought that blast finished you off for sure!"

"Heh…same thing I could say about you, fuzzball!" Falco retorted. "It surprises me that you're here!"

"Been here for a while…but that's not the matter. If you're alive…that means McCloud's alive as well."

"Fox? I haven't seen him. Either way…not gonna let you get away with this, pal!"

Falco flew from Impa's shoulder and hovered in front of Wolf. He pecked widely at his opponent's head. Wolf growled as he tried to chomp on Falco, in hopes of bringing him down. Falco taunted and teased Wolf to no end. Zelda and Impa tried to calm their pets down. "Wolf!" Zelda shouted. "Calm down….please!"

"Falco!" Impa shouted. "Enough….settle down! Come…on my shoulder." Impa patted her shoulder lightly. Hesitantly, but obediently, Falco perched on her shoulder once more. He chirped slightly before he relaxed. "Well, now that that's settled," Impa continued, "I wonder why they both started to fight against each other. Usually Falco is a well mannered bird around people."

"Wolf isn't exactly the nicest pet," Zelda stated, "but he hasn't attacked anyone at all since I tamed him. I wonder why he got so riled up over Falco."

"Loser!" Falco shouted.

"Punk!" Wolf barked.

"Yo mama was so ugly even Quasimodo said 'damn!'"

"Oh…how mature…mother jokes. That's the best you can come up with, mush for brains?"

"Fine! You're a douchebag!"

"Who knows, but at least they calmed down," Impa replied to Zelda's statement.

As Wolf and Falco continued arguing, Falco had sudden stopped. He looked up at the sky as if searching for something. Wolf's ears perked up. He too, started to look around at the sky, as if searching for the same thing Falco was looking for. Blue crystal shards fell from the sky, piercing the earth savagely. "Take cover, Your Majesty!" Impa shouted. She moved her arm to cover her face.

Zelda retaliated with her Nayru's love, deflecting any of the crystals that came her way. "What's going on?" Zelda shouted. "They're like…" The princess stopped half way into her sentence as she noticed a dark shadow appearing in front of her. Rouged lips smiled at her wickedly as a pair of grey gloves grasped her dress roughly. Zelda stared back at her doppelganger who apparently was smirking in victory.

"You're coming with me…princess…" Dark Zelda chided. A light wind began to swirl around the two, creating a small tornado. Impa shouted, trying to grab Zelda's hand to pull her out from the winds, but it was much too late. The two princesses teleported away from the castle. Impa hissed, looking over at Falco. She grabbed the small bird gently.

"Falco, you must inform Sheik and the others that Zelda has been kidnapped by that shadow of hers," the guardian spoke, "Fly, Falco, fly! May the goddesses watch over your wings!" Falco flapped his small azure wings and took to the skies. Impa looked over at Wolf who was busy barking and snarling. "Wolf…follow me. We're going to try to find the princess." Impa looked around for anything that belonged to Zelda. Once she found Zelda's necklace, she placed the jewelry next to Wolf's nose. Wolf sniffed at it lightly. He howled and rushed off, leading Impa outside of the castle.

Falco tried his best to fly to Kakariko Village. His wings were starting to ache, but he knew he shouldn't give up. He chirped loudly as soon as he reached the village and saw the silhouette of Sheik. Sheik, who had been busy talking to Ike, saw Falco fly towards her. He dove down and landed on her shoulder roughly. "Falco!" Sheik let out, "Are you okay? What's going on?" Upon hearing the name, Falco, Fox quickly scurried over to Sheik and tried to examine the blue bird.

"Falco? Is that you, Falco?" Fox let out, his tail wagging. "I didn't know you were alive!"

"I…I would jump for joy…for finding you…Fox," Falco wheezed, "But I'm too tired."

"What happened?"

"Princess…got kidnapped."

Fox perked up his ears. He rushed over to Rolf and gnawed on his shirt. Fox pulled on it, trying to get Rolf's attention. "Hey! What's the matter, boy?" Rolf asked. "Do you want me to follow you somewhere?" Fox released his hold on Rolf and barked in agreement. He ran over to Falco and tried to nudge him with his wet nose. Once Falco caught his breath he chirped loudly. Flapping his wings he hovered over Sheik.

"What does he want?" Sheik asked.

"He's saying that your princess is in trouble," Lucario stated. Ike and Sheik looked around trying to find Lucario. "I'm up here…" Both teens looked up at the tree to see Lucario standing on the treetop with his bare toes. He jumped from the treetop and landed gracefully on the ground. "The blue bird wants us to try to find the princess. She was taken by a woman that looks like her."

"Zelda!" Ike shouted as he rushed out of Kakariko Village.

"Ike! Don't run off by yourself!" Link shouted. "Damn idiot…"

"This isn't good…the princess is in trouble," Samus said.

"We better follow him," Sheik commented, "Falco…rest on my shoulder." Nodding at the Sheikah, Falco followed her orders and perched himself on her shoulder. After gathering the rest of the mercenaries, Sheik, along with Greil, lead the mercenaries' search party. Mist, Rolf, and Fox were in one small group.

"Where could the princess be?" Rolf asked. "Do you think she's alright?"

"She will be if we find her soon," Mist replied. "Knowing my brother, he'll find her in no time."

"Mist…I hope she isn't dead."

"She won't be! I'm sure of it! Oh…" Mist searched through her pockets and pulled out Lehran's Medallion. "The medallion…it's glowing."

"Why is it doing that?" Rolf asked. Fox began to whine and bark as he saw the medallion. The aura was too much for him to remain calm. "Fox doesn't like it!" Rolf shouted as he hugged Fox, trying to comfort him. "Mist…put it away!"

"Oh…I'm sorry," Mist responded, "It's just that…I don't know why it's glowing so much. Oh!" A soft hand touched Mist's shoulders. The young brunette turned around to meet face to face with Link. Link smiled at her softly.

"Are you doing alright, Mist?" Link asked. "That medallion…it's glowing…"

"Yes…I don't know why it is," Mist quickly placed the medallion back into her pocket, "However we need to find Zelda."

"Of course…" Link responded, "Why don't you…stay next to me, Mist…" Link leaned over and placed a hand under Mist's chin. "I'll keep you safe…" He narrowed his eyes in a dark yet seductive manner. Mist let out a slight blush as she noticed how close the Hylian hero was to her. Rolf felt very uneasy about the way Link was talking to Mist. Fox, on the other hand, growled at Link. Fox felt such dark aura radiating from Link's body. It was too much for the vulpine to handle and if there was one thing he wanted to do, that would be to protect Mist.

"L-Link…?" Mist let out.

"Yes, Mist?" Link responded as he leaned even closer to Mist. His lips were teasing hers.

_No! I can't do this! _Mist thought, _I…I thought Link liked Samus. Why is he trying to…?_

As Mist shifted uncomfortably around Link, Samus had been busy looking for her said companion. "Link…? Where are…?" Samus asked as she looked around the field. "Link?" Samus' eyes widen as she saw the figure of Link almost kissing Mist. His hand was caressing Mist's hips, slowly moving down towards her pocket. Through Samus' perspective, it wasn't a sight she wanted to see. She felt her heart stinging at that moment. "That….asshole…" Samus hissed as she clenched her fist. Wanting to get away from the scene, the bounty huntress ran.

Samus rushed through the fields. Her mind was filled with so many thoughts. Most were anger. She tried her best not to cry but she couldn't help the tears that were falling down her cheeks at that moment. She stopped running once she felt alone. Her heart broke into dozens of pieces, never wanting to mend.

"No!" Mist shouted as she pushed Link away. "I'm sorry…but I can't!"

"Why not? Don't you find me…" Link smirked, "irresistible?" For a brief moment, Link's cerulean eyes shifted to a crimson hue before they reverted back to their normal color.

"You…something is not right about you."

"Mist!" Rolf shouted. "Fox doesn't like Link! Something is really wrong with him."

"Don't be a fool, Mist…" Link hissed in a soft tone. He grasped the Cleric's wrists and squeezed them. "I'm much stronger than you. I could break you right now…and laugh in your face if I wanted to."

"Let her go!" Rolf screamed.

Fox growled at Link even more. He made a mad dash and bit hard on Link's right arm. Link shouted as he released his hold on Mist. Fox snarled and gnawed on Link's arm, trying to disable it. Link got furious as well as annoyed. He lifted his arm up which had Fox tangling from it. "Damn mutt!" Link snarled as he pushed Fox square in the gut. Fox whined as he tumbled on the ground.

"Fox!" Mist shouted.

"Mist! Run!" Rolf said as he pulled out his bow and arrow. "I'll…I'll protect you!"

"Rolf! You can't handle this by yourself!"

"Take Fox and run! Now!"

Mist whimpered slightly but followed Rolf's orders. She ran towards Fox and picked him up gently. "Rolf…if things get too tough, run, okay?" Mist said, "I don't want you to die! I'll go get help!"

"I won't die!"

Mist hesitantly ran off with a wounded Fox in her arms. Rolf shook slightly as he was prepared to fight Link. He knew he was ages away from Link's skill, but he had to bide time for Mist and Fox. He aimed at Link and released his arrow. Link moved out the way with ease. "Kid…you're so stupid…" Link chuckled darkly. Dark aura appeared around his feet, slowly enveloping him. "You're dealing with powers a fool like you wouldn't understand. If you value your young life, I suggest you get out of my way." Link's eyes glowed red. All the sunny, happy features he used to carry were now diminished. All that stood in front of Rolf was a demon of chaos.

Rolf shook in fear. He had never seen anything to scary in his life. _I…I'm going to die, aren't I? _He thought. Sweat dripped from his brow as his legs shook. _Oscar…Boyd...help me!_

"_Don't be afraid…" _came a soft feminine voice. _"He may look like a demon in front of you, but he's still just Link. That jewel on his chest is what possesses him. If you knock it out of his body, he will return to normal. Rolf…use your arrow and aim true!"_

"…Saria?" Rolf let out.

"Enough talk! It's time for you to perish!" Link shouted as he rushed towards Rolf. He took out the Master Sword from its sheath.

Rolf closed his eyes for a moment. Seconds seemed to last years. Everything around him seemed to be slowed and grey. His heart raced a million times. He moved his hand towards his quiver and took out an arrow. Pulling the string back, he aimed directly at Link's chest and released the arrow. The arrow pierced Link's right shoulder. He hissed in pain. Narrowing his eyes, Link growled, letting out a punch at Rolf's gut. Rolf grunted as he lost all the air in his system. The small archer closed his eyes and he fell unconscious.

Elsewhere, Zelda shivered in fear as she saw herself and her doppelganger standing by the edge of the Gerudo Valley's cliffs. The harsh winds were blowing roughly. She squinted her eyes as she tried to avoid the sands that were blowing at her. Dark Zelda smiled quite evilly at her lighter twin. The sand was not bothering her, even though it stung her skin. "How does it feel now?" Dark Zelda asked. "When your darker side is more superior to the real thing?"

"Why are you doing this?" Zelda asked. "Why do you want my life so badly? Can't you live your own life as your own person?"

"No! All my existence…I only existed for one thing: to kill you. Now…Lady Medusa has offered me a new reward…to BE you…and HAVE Ike. Ike is the only person…that made me feel…real."

"I'm sorry…" Zelda replied, "I know what you mean…about Ike. He made me feel the same way. I love him so much…yet I offer him so little. He never asks for anything in return. I'm sorry…but even though I feel so much sympathy for you…I can't allow you to take him away from me. I can help you…start a new life. If you please…just stop this!"

Dark Zelda looked away from Zelda. Her mind was clouded with so many thoughts. She had to do this job. She had to in order to even exist. "No!" Dark Zelda growled as she pulled Zelda by her blond hair. She dragged the princess towards the edge of the cliff. "If I don't do as Lady Medusa asked…I will never be real! You have to die and I have to have the Triforce of Wisdom! I want to exist! You have that option…I don't! The more I use my powers…the faster my life will drain. I will be nothing more than dust by the time you ascend to queendom."

"No, please!"

Dark Zelda was about to throw Zelda off from the cliff when a strong arm took a hold of her shoulder. "It's over…" spoke a gruff male voice. Dark Zelda looked over her shoulder to see Ike glaring at her. In his right hand, he had the Regal Sword ready. "Let the princess go…and we can do this peacefully," Ike said, "I don't want to hurt you. The last thing I want to do is get violent with you. Please…let her go."

"Ike…" Dark Zelda let out. "You…care about her…a lot…don't you?"

"More than anything…" Ike responded softly.

The dark princess narrowed her eyes. With all her strength, she shoved Zelda at Ike. "Fine! Keep that brat!" She shouted. "I've had enough…" Dark aura surrounded Dark Zelda's feet. She floated off the ground. Veins started to pop around her eyes. "You don't know…the meaning of pain…however, I shall teach you what it is to feel TRUE pain!"

"Ike!" Sheik yelled out.

"Sheik! Take Zelda and go!" Ike responded.

"No!" Zelda cried, "I won't go! I want to fight alongside you."

"Zelda, she's going to kill you…you must flee!"

"I refuse! Ike…listen to me…she isn't all that bad. What she truly wants…is a place to call home. A place to exist. I want to help her…I know I can help her."

"Zelda…I know you want to help her and all…but…at this moment, the only way to do that…is to defeat her. I promise…I won't kill her…for you."

"Ike!" Greil shouted as he arrived with the rest of the mercenaries. "It seems this woman's power is growing by the minute."

"Father we are NOT to kill this woman. We need her to be disarmed."

"That will be tough, but it can be done. Alright, men! We are to only disarm this woman. Knock her out…just don't kill her or wound her too much!"

The Greil Mercenaries agreed. Each one of them unsheathed their weapons. Shinon took aim at Dark Zelda and unleashed an arrow. The arrow zipped through the air and pierced Dark Zelda's shoulder. The dark princess hissed as she saw not blood but dust seeping through her shoulder. She pulled out the arrow and engulfed it in fire. Using her dark aura, a large bow generated in her hands. She aimed at Shinon and released a volley of arrows at the archer.

Shinon didn't have much time to respond to the attacks. He tried his best to dodge the arrows. The first three he managed to move, but the fourth one caught his leg. The magenta haired man yelled in pain as he fell to the ground, bleeding. The fifth arrow was aimed at his head, but was blocked by Gatrie's shield. Gatrie smiled at his slender companion. "You okay?" he asked.

"I'll live if that's what you're asking," Shinon responded.

Titania galloped over to Dark Zelda. She twirled her ax in her hands and threw it at the dark princess. Dark Zelda deflected the ax using her dark version of Nayru's love. The ax flew back towards Titania and slashed at her chest. Her chest armor was scratched. Dozen of Nayru's Love crystals flew towards the red haired Titania. She easily avoided most of the crystals, however four of them pierced through her armor. She grunted as the jewels were embed into her body. Rhys, who was mounted on her horse began to mend her. "Be strong, Titania!" Rhys chanted.

A dark ball of aura pierced through the air and landed roughly on Dark Zelda's chest. Dark Zelda grunted as she was knocked back a bit. She glared daggers at the figure of Lucario who was charging up another aura ball. Dark Zelda growled. She placed her gloved hands together and conjured up a ball of fire. She threw it directly at Lucario.

Lucario closed his eyes for a moment. Using his other senses, he nimbly dodged the fire ball. As soon as he moved, someone had stepped on him, causing him to open his eyes. Sonic smirked as he used Lucario as a step and jumped up into the air. He spun into a ball and created a small tornado. The gusts of wind lifted up rocks, sand, and other gunk which cut, slashed, and bruised Dark Zelda's skin.

Dark Zelda shouted as more dark aura surrounded her body. She unleashed a powerful aura wave which knocked both Sonic and Lucario against the rocky wall. Titania's horse lost balance, knocking both her and Rhys off of the horse. Having been angered, Dark Zelda flew towards Zelda. Using her dark aura, she conjured up a sword and slashed at the princess.

Zelda shouted as the blade cut through her flesh, causing her to bleed. Dark Zelda continued her assault on the princess. However, her blade was blocked by the Regal Sword. Using his strength, Ike pushed Dark Zelda off. "Sorry…but you will not touch Zelda…" Ike hissed darkly. Before Dark Zelda could respond, a strong gust of wind blew Dark Zelda away from Ike. Soren glared at Dark Zelda as he chanted another wind spell. Dark Zelda snarled as she rushed over to Soren and attacked using her crystals on him. Soren dodged two of the crystals, the rest he had to block using his powerful gusts of wind. Oscar rode over to where Dark Zelda was. Twirling his spear he aimed at her stomach, he threw using full force. Boyd, who was standing next to Oscar aimed at Dark Zelda with his hand ax and unleashed his weapon simultaneously with Oscar. Using Din's Fire, Dark Zelda burned their weapons before they reached her.

"Ike…how could you…?!" Dark Zelda shouted. As she was conjuring up another fire ball, another arrow pierced through her. This time, it wasn't a normal arrow, but an arrow of light. Pit, who had been soaring through the skies, was aiming at the dark doppelganger from above. He took another arrow and shoot at Dark Zelda.

"You leave Ike alone!" Pit yelled. "Pit will not allow you to hurt Pit's friends!"

"You miserable angel…I'll make you suffer!" Dark Zelda teleported through the air and kicked at Pit. Infusing her dark magic into the kick, the heel of her toe sent a shocking wave through Pit's frail body. The tiny angel grunted as he was knocked out from the skies. He landed on the ground. Grunting and groaning, Pit got up from the ground. Breaking his bow into two, he twirled his newly formed daggers.

Dark Zelda landed gracefully on the ground. She slashed at the tiny angel before her. Pit dodged and block with his daggers and retaliated with his own attacks. A dagger barely missed Dark Zelda's nose. She looked over to her right to see a very agitated Sheik. Sheik grunted as she threw six daggers at Dark Zelda. The shadow princess blocked the daggers using her crystals to block the attacks. She pushed off Pit from her and threw her sword at Sheik.

In a quick movement, Sheik took out some deku nuts and threw them on the ground. She teleported behind Dark Zelda and kicked her. Dark Zelda was knocked over slightly, but retained her composure. The dark princess created two dark balls of energy in her hands. Snarling, she threw them towards Sheik. Pit used his mirror shield to block the attacks. Frustrated, Dark Zelda conjured up another pair of spheres. Before she unleashed them, a rough figure fell on her. Fangs sank into her neck. Dark Zelda shouted as she tried to pull off the fierce wolf that was attacking her. "Get this mangy beast off!" she shouted as she shook violently to knock Wolf off of her. A dagger pierced through her right leg. Impa readied another dagger, this time aiming for her collarbone. Quickly, Dark Zelda grasped the fur from Wolf's neck and yanked him off from her. Wolf landed on his paws then ran in front of Zelda, snarling protectively.

"I've had enough!!" Dark Zelda yelled. A pair of dark wings emerged from her back. "Now…you will feel…my true power!" The dark aura that surrounded Dark Zelda became stronger. The winds howled as the earth started to shake below them. "If I overexert my body…I shall vanished…but I have to…for Ike," Dark Zelda muttered under her breath.

With a devastating scream, Dark Zelda unleashed another powerful energy wave, one that shook the grounds. The Greil Mercenaries as well as Zelda's guardians were blasted away. Ike held onto Zelda, trying to take the entire attack. Wolf managed to squeeze in between Ike and Zelda. The dark aura surged through his body, causing his body to shake violently. Greil grunted as he grabbed the nearest person, who was Soren, and pulled him behind the rock. Sonic carried Lucario quickly hid with Greil. Gatrie moved his shield, protecting both him and Shinon from the wave. Titania grabbed Rhys and used her body as a shield. Oscar grabbed Boyd and pulled him away from the battle. Using his mirror shield, Pit protected Sheik. In a matter of moments, her body began to give out. Her once silky skin wrinkled like a prune. The long locks of platinum were now white as winter. The beauty she was once known as was now as old as the winter.

Dark Zelda cough violently as she stopped floating. She trembled from being meek. Slowly she moved her bony hands to her face and saw the horrifying image of her being old. "No….noooooooo!!!" She fell on her knees and cried. "It's not fair…it's not fair…am I…going to die…now? I can't even do a single spell anymore…"

Feeling sympathy for her shadow, Zelda got out of Ike's grasps and walked over to her. "Please…do not cry," She said softly, "I…I think I can help you."

"You? How can you help me? Even more so…why?"

"I can…see that you're not evil. You…just want to exist. I think everyone should be allowed to experience true happiness."

"Princess…you don't have to. I…I don't deserve it."

"You're wrong…you do. I was hoping…that once I find a way to help you…will you…be my friend?"

Dark Zelda looked directly into her lighter side's eyes. She could only see sincerity in them. "You…really mean it," she said. "Of…of course…I'll be your friend."

A loud scream echoed through the valley, destroying the peace that had settled in. Approaching the mercenaries at a fast pace was a frighten Mist holding Fox in her arms. Oscar noticed one important fact. "Where's Rolf?" Oscar asked.

"Little girl…" Dark Zelda said as she got up from the ground. "Get behind me!"

"What?" Mist let out.

Just as Dark Zelda was about to reach Mist, a dark shadow loomed overhead. Falling at a fast pace was the ruby eyed Link. Taking out his sword he pierced through Dark Zelda. The tip of the Master Sword sliced through her gut. Dark Zelda did her best to get the blade out of her body, but couldn't even budge it. She started to close her eyes and fall limp in Link's arms. Zelda screamed in horror as she saw Dark Zelda lifeless on the blade.

Link kicked Dark Zelda off from his blade. Searching through her body, he pulled out her Angelus Crystal. He smirked as he looked at it. "It is a pity you were too weak, Dark Zelda," he spoke in a dark tone. "Only the strong can survive. If only…you were a perfect replica…like me. One who manifests in the host's body."

"Host's…body? What are you?" Zelda asked.

"You can call me Dark Link," Dark Link smirked as his blond hair turned into snowy white. His skin, darken as his eyes sparkled. The once admirable signature green clothing Link once wore faded into black. "Unlike Dark Zelda…I have no other desire but to be your demise. And with this crystal…I'll become much stronger now! Thank you…for doing the dirty work for me. I was going to end her life anyway!"

"You monster!" Zelda shouted. "I will not let you get away with that!"

"On contraire…" Dark Link grabbed Mist roughly. "I have what I wanted…Lehran's Medallion."

"Mist!" Greil yelled.

"Dad!! Help me!" Mist struggled to get free.

"I'll let her live…" Dark Link chided, "If you let me take the medallion without a struggle. I can guarantee you that is the only option this girl will be able to live. So…what's your choice?"

Fox growled at Dark Link. He bit hard onto Dark Link's stomach. Dark Link yelled, giving Mist an opportunity to get away. Dark Link knocked Fox away from him then tripped Mist over. Mist fell on the ground. Lehran's Medallion flew from her hand. Ike's eyes were concentrated at the medallion as it flew towards him. "Ike!" Greil shouted, "Don't touch the medallion!" A strange aura was calling out to him as the medallion pulsate energy. Extended his hand Ike caught it. The winds died down for a brief moment. Ike's body went slightly limp. His rogue azure hair covered his eyes. In a matter of moments blue fire surrounded the blue haired warrior. When Ike looked up at his companions, his eyes were no longer the cold blue hue they normally were, but instead were a strange sickly yellow. A wickedly smile formed on his lips as he lifted the Regal Sword up.

"Blood….kill….kill…must kill…everything!!!" Ike snarled in a savage tone. The blue fire, which surrounded Ike's body, formed into two large, blue wings. As Zelda looked at Ike, she could no longer see the man she loved, but a demon in the form of her beloved.

_End of chapter! _

_Chapter Twenty: Broken Wings_

_"Judgment will be passed on everyone. No one can escape it. Ike will have to pay for his crimes__."_


	20. Chapter 20: Broken Wings

_Alright, here comes a new chapter. I hope all of you will enjoy this one. It will be action packed and guaranteed to leave some of you guys shocked. Beware, this chapter is rather bloody and has intense violence._

**A Hero's Creed**

**Chapter Twenty: Broken Wings**

Dark Link smirked as he watched his new opponent appear. "I thought this was going to be boring," he said softly, "looks like things just got interesting. Well then, Ike…let's see just which one of us is the strongest." Dark Link yelled slightly as his dark wings stretched. The shadow extended his arm in front of him and conjured up a sword. The blade that Dark Link was holding in his hand pulsated from the dark aura surrounding it. The dark blue hilt looked like bat wings. The blade was not of a normal color; rather it was a black hue. To some, it would remind them of a dark version of the Master Sword. "I can't touch the holy blade, but that doesn't mean I can't use other methods to kill you."

Ike looked up at Dark Link. A maniacal grin formed, stretching from ear to ear. His yellow eyes glowed in such an eerie manner. A dark chuckle escaped from his chapped lips before he licked his lips. Ike swayed slightly as he walked in an almost zombie manner towards Dark Link. His dark, blue wings were at rest, however the closer he was getting towards Dark Link the more his wings would erect.

"This isn't good," Greil stated, "This is NOT good." Greil growled as he remembered a similar situation that happened years ago. He still remembered the countless of lives he took with his sword. One life, in particular, has been stuck on his mind. He remembered the rouged lips which dripped with blood. Her frail body was limp on his blade. Her ocean blue eyes were sparkling from the tears that fell down her cheeks, yet she still smiled at him as if nothing had happened. Greil didn't want Ike to go through the same pain. He had to stop him, no matter what. Using his strength, Greil left his hiding spot and ran towards Ike.

"Commander!" Titania shouted.

Greil swooped in and grabbed Ike's arms tightly. He pulled them back in hopes of having his son drop his sword. "Ike! Drop the medallion!" Greil shouted, "Don't do anything you might regret, son." Ike struggled to get loose from his father's grasps. Once he freed his left arm, he turned around and punched Greil as hard as he could. Though his nose was bleeding, Greil still held onto Ike's right arm. "I'm not letting go," Greil said in a calm tone, "You can kick, scream, punch, and yell all you want…you're still my boy and I'm NOT going to let you do the same mistake I did."

"Release me, you foolish man!" Ike growled as he continued to struggle. "Or do you want to die that badly?"

Greil looked over at Ike's left hand. Still clutched within his fingers was Lehran's Medallion. Greil hissed through his teeth. _I have to get it away from him, _he thought, _but if I touch the medallion, I too, shall go beserk like last time. Only Mist can touch the medallion. I'll need to have him distracted enough in order for Mist to grab it. I really don't like putting her in danger, but what else can I do? The only other option is to cut off Ike's hand…_

"Enough!" Ike growled. He kicked Greil in the gut using his knee then headbutted him square in the face. That was enough for Greil to lose his grip on Ike's arm. Once he was released, Ike swung the Regal Sword and cut down on Greil. Greil grunted as he held onto his chest. He looked down at the ground to see a puddle of blood forming. "Hehe…keep it up and I'll kill you right now, old man," Ike sneered, "Reason why you're living right now…is because that guy over there will be more fun to kill first."

"Heh…you flatter me, Ike…" Dark Link said, "I'll make sure your death will be a fun one." Dark Link extended his arm. He pointed the tip of the blade at Ike.

"Don't flatter yourself," Ike said, "I'll be the one to give you a nice death." Ike smirked at Dark Link as he pointed the Regal Sword at him.

In a matter of moments, both warriors ran towards each other and swung their swords. Each blade clashed against the others. Whenever Dark Link swung his Dark Master Sword at Ike, Ike would easily block it. When it was Ike's turn to swing at Dark Link, Dark Link would block the blade with his shield. Dark Link swung his sword at Ike. Ike barely dodged the swing. The tip of the blade managed to penetrate slightly through the flesh of Ike's arm. Ike looked at the small trail of blood that was dripping from his arm. He chuckled as he licked the blood. "Not bad," Ike said, "Let's see you try this one out for size!" Ike threw his sword up into the air. Jumping after it, Ike used the momentum that he got from the jump and slammed himself down on Dark Link.

"We finally made it out," Lyn said softly as she emerged from the Kokiri Forest. "It was a pain in the ass, but we made it."

"Yeah, it was," Marth responded, "Though…I wonder how everyone is doing."

"Don't know…but one thing is for sure, we need to return the horses and wagon to Malon now. She'll need them."

Lyn and Marth boarded the wagon once they were out into the field and made their way towards Lon Lon Ranch. Marth took the reigns, letting Lyn to rest for a while. Lyn sighed softly as she ended up leaning on Marth, placing her head on his shoulder. Marth blushed at the action, but felt welcomed. His eyes looked upon the endless green field that was known as Hyrule Field. Flowers were blooming, painting the green field with shades of pink, purple, blue, and yellow. It looked so peaceful, leaving the blue haired prince to want to protect this land even more.

As he was about to reach half way towards the ranch, a figure caught his eyes. At first, Marth thought it was a huge sunflower, however upon further inspection, it was a woman. Upon even further inspection, it happened to be Samus. "Samus?" Marth let out as he approached the bounty huntress. "Samus…what are you doing here?" Lyn opened her forest green eyes to see Samus next to the wagon.

"Marth?" Samus said in a surprised yet soft tone. "What are you and Lyn doing here?"

"I was asking you that same question," Marth responded. "We just got back from the delivery and on our way back to Lon Lon Ranch. How come you're alone out here?"

"Well…" Samus spoke softly, "It is a long story…and…"

Samus stopped in mid sentence. What prevented the bounty huntress to continue her conversation was the fact that the sky's everlasting blue changed into murky black and red mulch in the sky. The soft, spring breezes strengthen and blew at the trio with a fierce force. Animals panicked as they ran through the field to find shelter.

The horses that were holding the wagon together panicked. Marth tried his best to calm the horses down, but it was all in vain. The horses were much too frighten to hear soothing words. Try as they may, the quadrupeds were doing their best to escape the wagon's hold. Having little time to react, Lyn and Marth jumped off from the wagon just as the horses began to cooperate in their sense of direction and bolted from sight. A strange light blasted through the sky and towards the stars. Samus' and Marth's Angelus Crystals glowed brightly as another light appeared and split the heavens apart. "What is this power?!" Marth shouted.

"I don't know…but…" Samus said, "It feels…familiar…yet…different. It feels like Link…but…"

"Do you think it would be wise to check that out?" Lyn asked.

"I don't know…" Marth replied, "But…we can't just ignore it. What if it hurts the princess?"

"Then let's head over there!" Lyn stated.

"What about the horses?"

"It's too late to run after them. They're too frightened because of this power. Let's just go and investigate that light."

"Right!"

Without a moment's hesitation, Lyn, Marth, and Samus ran towards the beacon of light. None of them knew what was to be expected, however, they were prepared for anything that will be thrown their way. Deep inside Samus' subconscious, she kept thinking about Link. Her mind was a jumbled mess as she tried to think of what that light would be and all that would come out would be Link. But her worries for the Hylian hero changed to that of anger and sorrow when she would replay the vision of Link and Mist over in her head. She tried not to think of Link anymore, but that was all she could conjure up in her mind. _Please, _she thought, _whatever this is, I hope it is NOT Link. He's the last person I want to see right now._

Dark Link clutched his chest. He snarled slightly from Ike's slash. Looking at his chest, Dark Link would see the blood slightly gushing out. Taking his blood smeared finger tips, he licked them, enjoying the taste of his own blood. "That was nice," Dark Link hissed softly, "But we're not done yet! I'll show you that my power is superior to yours!" With a snarl, Dark Link ran towards Ike. He slashed uncontrollably at Ike. Each swing from the Dark Master Sword connected against Ike's flesh. Blood splattered on the rocks as Ike's body was being sliced and diced.

Once Dark Link had stopped, Ike cocked his head at the shadow and grinned. "Is that all you got?" Ike asked. "If that is so…I guess it's my turn to show you what I got." Shaking off some of his blood, Ike took the Regal Sword into his hand and swung it like crazy. Dark Link managed to dodge the first swings, the latter swings slashed through his tunic and tights, cutting up his flesh. Once he backed off as far as he could from Ike, he dripped with blood on all limps.

Angered and full of hate, Dark Link flapped his dark wings and dove at Ike. Using his body weight he swung the Dark Master Sword with all his strength. Ike blocked and dodged some of the swings before he took to the air and countered with an assault of his own. Dark Link flew at a distance. He morphed his Dark Master Sword into a bow and shot at Ike with a dark arrow. The arrow flew through the air and pierced through Ike's left shoulder.

Ike grunted slightly as he pulled the arrow from his shoulder then tossed it at the ground. Zipping through the air, Ike threw the Regal Sword at Dark Link. Dark Link lifted his shield and reflected the blade. The Regal Sword twirled like a boomerang and headed back towards Ike. Ike carefully timed his catch and reached for the hilt. He was pushed back a bit, but using that recoil, he managed to throw the sword once more. Not expecting the sword to be thrown back, Dark Link did not block for the next throw that happened. The sword ran through Dark Link's right arm. He shouted and howled in pain as he tried to pull the sword off.

Ike slammed against Dark Link, knocking him into the rocky wall. He pushed the Regal Sword more into Link's arm and started to rotate it. Dark Link let out another yell of pain. Blood streamed down from his arm and landed into a newly formed puddle of blood. Ike smirked at him with such utter joy and glee. "What's the matter?" Ike chuckled, "I thought you were tougher than this. I guess you were all bark and no bite? Isn't that right, you little bitch?" Ike twisted the Regal Sword once more.

Dark Link hissed in pain. Gritting his teeth, he kicked Ike in the gut before he smacked his head against his. Blood trailed down Ike's forehead, but was absorbed by his headband. Ike pulled back as he grabbed his head. Dark Link pulled the Regal Sword out of his arm then rammed the sword through Ike's left shoulder, right where he left the arrow wound.

Ike growled in pain as Dark Link twisted the Regal Sword. "Not so tough, are you?" Dark Link taunted in a sadistic manner. He gave the sword another twist. "I do love pain…especially when it's on someone else. Now…be a good boy and die for me!" Dark Link grunted as he slashed through Ike's bare skin, pulling the sword out of his body. Ike shouted in pain as even more blood was gushing from his body. He placed his legs on Dark Link's stomach and kicked hard, sending the shadow off from him. He slowly got up from the ground and glared at Dark Link.

Ike cracked his neck. "I've had enough of you…" Ike twirled his sword in his hand and rushed over to Dark Link. He slammed the sword right through Dark Link and pulled out his Angelus Crystal. Dark Link yelled as he slowly reverted back to Link. Link shivered from the pain he got coursing through his body. He looked up at Ike.

"Ike…what are you doing?" Link asked, confused and obviously frightened.

Without answering Link, Ike slashed at the Hylian hero several times. Just as Ike was about to deliver the final blow, a soft body got in the way. The gentle hands mangled though the rough, strong grip that Ike had and pulled away the medallion. Ike's dark aura diminished within that instant. He shook his head lightly. His ruby eyes changed back to a light blue hue. When he came to, he gasped in horror at the scene before him.

Shaking violently at the base of the Regal Sword's blade was Princess Zelda. The sword had pierced through her stomach. Around her wound, blood dripped down to the ground and sliding off the blade. She coughed up blood as she looked at Ike. Her eyes were sparkling as tears trailed down her cheek. "Ike…" Zelda coughed, "I never…got to tell you…how happy you made me."

"No…no, don't talk like that, Zelda," Ike said in a hushed toned.

"Ike…please save Hyrule…" Zelda responded.

"We'll save Hyrule TOGETHER. Just hang on…"

"I forgive you…Ike." Zelda let out a soft sigh escape her lips before she fell limp on the sword.

"Zelda? Zelda?! Zelda!" Ike shouted as he pulled the sword out of Zelda's body and held her close to him. "Zelda…please…wake up." Ike shook Zelda softly, hoping to get a response. The princess, however, was unresponsive. Ike rested his head on hers and started to weep softly.

"It seems we meet again," spoke a dark voice.

Ike looked away from Zelda to find the source of the voice.

A dark vortex emerged from the ground next to Ike. A dark armored figured formed before Ike in full glory. The Black Knight loomed ominously, grasping the Alondite in his hands. Greil's eyes opened widely as he saw the armored figured. The Black Knight turned to see Greil behind him. "So then…there you are…Sir Gawain," The Black Knight spoke in a dark voice. "I've been waiting for this moment for a long time."

"I know you…" Greil said as he got up on his feet, "It's been a long time…hasn't it? What brings you over here?"

"I'm here on official business…I am, after all, one of Daein's Four Riders. Just the same as you. I guess I can kill two birds with one stone. I'm here for the medallion…and I wouldn't mind seeing which one of us is the strongest."

"My pleasure," Greil said as he picked up his ax.

"Commander! You can't be serious!" Titania shouted. "You're heavily wounded!"

"Titania…take the mercenaries and go back to our base. Ike, take the princess back to the castle. She's in dire need of treatment."

"But Father…!" Ike protested.

"Do as I say! This battle is between me and him."

Lucario marched over to Zelda and Ike. He grabbed both teens softly. "Anyone who wants to be taken to the castle immediately, hang onto me now," Lucario spoke in a gruff voice. "Someone needs to grab Link for us." Sonic leaned over and hoisted Link on his back before he grabbed onto Lucario. Titania led the rest of the mercenaries out of the desert and into Hyrule Field. Once everyone held onto Lucario. Lucario used foresight to get them out of the desert. Pit stayed behind and made himself hidden behind a boulder.

"Pit can't let Greil fight that big bully by himself," Pit said softly, "Greil is hurt…so Pit will be ready to save him when Pit can. Oh!"

A rough hand grabbed onto Pit. Pit turned around to see Sheik smiling at him. "Hey…I'm not going to let you face him alone," Sheik said, "I noticed that you weren't leaving…so I decided to stay here."

"Sheik shouldn't be here…it's dangerous," Pit said, "Sheik should leave."

"What? You kicking me out? Is that it? If you didn't want my company…"

"No, no, no! Pit loves Sheik's company…just that…Pit doesn't want Sheik to get hurt…" Pit looked away from the Sheikah.

"I'll be fine," Sheik said softly. She placed a hand on Pit's frail hand. "I promise."

Pit slowly looked back at Sheik. "If there is trouble, Sheik promises Pit that Sheik will run!"

"I promise."

Pit nodded at Sheik. He turned his attention back to the battlefield. Sheik focused her attention at the fight that was going to take place below them.

Greil took out a small cloth from his back pocket. He knelt down and picked up Lerhan's Medallion. He stuffed it into his pocket. Once that was secured, Greil readied Urvan, his ax. He circled around the Black Knight as the Black Knight did the same thing. Each warrior was not going to let the other leave their eyesight or leave themselves unprotected. "Well then…it seems now…the only way for you to get that medallion…is to go through me," Greil said. "I can assure you…this isn't going to be an easy feat for you…my apprentice…"

"It has been years since I was under your wing, Sir Gwain," the Black Knight responded. "I am no longer your apprentice."

"That is correct…my old apprentice…wouldn't stoop so low as the man I see before me is doing."

"Heh…and my old master wouldn't be this soft. He would have struck down his enemies with ease, which leads me to ask, why hasn't he done so? Is there something…holding you back, Sir Gwain?"

"Just a change of heart," Greil responded.

"Change of heart? No…it seems to me you're hiding something from me, and I'm about to find out what it is. The Black Knight charged towards Greil. He swung the Alondite fiercely towards the mercenary leader. Greil blocked the swing and replied with an attack of his own. The Black Knight easily blocked the swing. Using his strength he pushed Greil off of him. Greil staggered slightly before he rushed in and swung Urvan. Even though his swing didn't touch the Black Knight, a wave of aura was released from the blade of Greil's ax. The wave pushed the Black Knight against the rocky wall. His black armor made a large indention on the rocky wall. The wall crumbled slightly, letting tiny rocks fall out of place.

The Black Knight pushed himself off and swung the Alondite with ferocious swings. The powerful aura waves emitting from the blade cut through Greil, breaking bits of his armor. Greil fell upon one knee as he held his bleeding chest. Panting and coughing, the mercenary leader arose from his fall and made a mad dash towards his opponent. He lifted his mighty ax, yelled loudly as he put his entire hip into the swing. The Black Knight blocked the upcoming attack. He grunted as he tried to keep his balance. Greil smirked as he used the opportunity to strike. He back-stepped from the knight, turned around, crouched, and initiated an uppercut with his ax. Even though the blade made contact with the armor, it was not able to scratch it..

Surprised, the Black Knight pushed Greil off from him then slashed at him twice in a cross manner. Each slash had cut the mercenary leader from shoulder down to his navel. Greil yelled slightly as he pulled away from the Black Knight. He fell on his knees once more, clutching his chest as he bled profusely. The Black Knight chuckled darkly.

"You really lost your edge," the Black Knight spoke, "I really wouldn't want to finish you off like this…but I can't bare to see you in such a state."

"Heh…doesn't matter what you do," Greil responded, "You'd be disappointed at the end."

"I will let you go for now. There is no point in killing someone who isn't in top form. However, I shall be taking the medallion with me. I can't leave without it."

"Sorry…" Greil smirked, "you'll be disappointed in that as well. I'm not letting you take it. The only way for you to get it…is to pry it from my dead hands."

"That…can be arranged. Forgive me…master. The heavens will cry to see such a warrior of your stature fall in such a manner." The Black Knight approached Greil slowly. He lifted the Alondite above his helmet.

"No!" Sheik shouted. The Black Knight and Greil both turned their heads to see the young Sheikah maiden climb down the cliff in a quick manner and stopped in between the two warriors. "I don't know what type of warriors you are," Sheik spoke, "but one thing is for sure…I'm not letting anyone else touch that medallion. After what I saw…it is nothing for mortal hands, especially corrupt ones."

"I have no intentions of using the medallion's power for myself," the Black Knight spoke, "I only am here to take it to my king. I am only here for that sole duty. I care not for Hyrule or what will become of it."

"Sorry…but I do care about what's going to happen to this land, and for that," Sheik took out her chain whip, "I shall fight until I fall down dead."

"I have no desire to kill someone of poor fighting skill, so I will ask you to please stand aside."

"Nope!"

"Please…do not make this difficult. I will ask you again, stand aside."

"No way! I'm not moving from this spot! You'll have to cut me down if you want that medallion too!"

"Forgive me then…" The Black Knight said as he lifted his blade and swung several times. Sheik closed her eyes as she fell to the ground. Once she opened the eyes, she noticed the blood on her clothing and near the ground. However, she did not feel any pain whatsoever. Once she looked from her chest to what was clutching her stomach, her ruby eyes widen. Holding her down was the frail body of Pit. He looked up at Sheik weakly.

"Is…Sheik…okay?" Pit asked weakly. He tried to move his wings, or at least what was left of them, but couldn't because of the pain. Sheik gasped in horror as she saw the poor angel in front of her bleeding from what once was his wings.

It was an a blur to the Sheikah maiden. She faintly recalled closing her eyes as Pit dove from the cliff and pushed her down, using his own body as a shield. The Alondite connected against his raw wings and sliced through them like a hot knife through butter. It took only one swing to slice through both wings. It was quick, but awfully painful.

"Pit…" Sheik whimpered as she held the tiny angel in her arms. "What…what have I done?"

"Sheik did nothing wrong…" Pit responded, giving off a weak smile. "Pit wanted to protect Sheik. Did…Pit do a good job?"

"You…you didn't have to!"

"Pit wanted to."

"That was quite a noble cause," the Black Knight said in a sympathetic tone, "However…I am running short on time. I'll be sure to make it quick and painless for you both. Maybe you'll find peace in the heavens."

Sheik held Pit close to her as he held Sheik close to him. Both looked at each other, both trying to smile. "Pit…" Sheik said softly, "I never got a chance to tell you…what I feel."

"Hmm?" Pit looked at Sheik in confusion. "What does Sheik mean?"

Sheik grabbed her face mask and pulled it down, revealing her face. She leaned over and kissed Pit softly. Pit stiffen at her touch and stayed slightly unresponsive since he didn't know what to do. Trying his best, he relaxed and kissed back. As both teens were kissing, trying to block out anything around them, the Black Knight pulled back his sword and rammed it towards Pit and Sheik.

The Black Knight tilted his head as he saw Greil standing over them. The sword struck through his body, however the mercenary leader only smirked. He chuckled darkly as he swung his ax, knocking over the Black Knight's helmet. "You are a fool," Greil said, "I pity you…and what you've become." The Black Knight pulled the sword away from Greil's body, allowing the mercenary leader to fall on the ground in a pool of his own blood. The Black Knight approached Greil's weakened body and pulled out Lehran's Medallion that was covered in a cloth. He gingerly tucked the medallion inside of his armor.

"I leave you…with your life," the Black Knight spoke, "However…I expect the next time I see you again…to be in good health and ready to fight." Extending his armored gauntlet, the Black Knight created a vortex. He stepped inside of it and teleported out of the desert entrance. Sheik and Pit shivered lightly as they saw Greil on the ground being still.

"Sir Greil?" Sheik asked. "Sir Greil…please answer me."

"It must be over here!" Marth said as he approached the entrance of the desert.

"The light has vanished…" Lyn responded as she looked at the sky. The once bright beam of light had disappeared a while back. The red and black sky slowly started to change to a red and purple montage of colors since the sun was setting. "Maybe we should turn back now? What if the thing we were searching for is gone now?"

"We can't be certain unless we check," Marth replied, "I still have a bad feeling that we're about to bump into something unpleasant."

"If we are going into something unpleasant…why do we keep on going?" Samus asked.

Marth looked at Samus as if trying to find an answer. Having no avail, he scoffed as he ran into the desert entrance. Lyn shook her head as he followed the blue haired prince. Samus sighed, not wanting to be left behind, she followed Lyn. The trio made a mad dash through the desert entrance. The harsh winds blew dust and sand towards their way. Ignoring the stings of the wind, they still pursued towards their destination.

Once he had reached his destination, Marth skidded to a stop as he saw the scene before him. Laying on the ground was a tired Sheik. In her arms she was holding a frail looking Pit. His wings were torn and bloodied. There were bits of bloodied feathers on the ground. A little bit away from the couple was the motionless body of Greil. "Commander Greil!" Marth shouted as he ran towards Greil's body. He rolled him on his body and tried to find a pulse on the heftier swordsman. "He's alive…" Marth said in a soft voice. "He needs aid!"

"Marth! Where did you come from?!" Sheik asked. "Never mind that…we're glad we could see a friendly face."

"Sheik! What happened here?" Lyn asked as she approached the Sheikah.

"I'll tell you later. Right now…Pit and Sir Greil need medical attention."

"Alright! Samus…Marth…help Greil up. I'll assist Pit. Sheik, you better take it easy…you look really tired."

"I'll be fine," Sheik responded, "I want to help."

Using his strength, Marth hoisted up Greil on his two feet. He wrapped his strong arm around his neck. "Easy sir," Marth said, "just lean on me…we'll watch over you." Greil could only respond with a grunt. His eyes grew heavy until he closed them. Samus rushed over to the bleeding swordsman and helped Marth carry him out of the desert. Lyn carefully helped Pit up. She grabbed his arm and gently made him lean on her. Pit held tightly onto Lyn as Lyn helped him out of the desert. Sheik took one last look at where the Black Knight had stood before she walked off behind Pit.

Once Lucario had arrived at the castle, Impa took a hold of Princess Zelda and carried her off towards her chambers. Sonic looked at Ike before he ran off towards Link's room to drop Link off. Everyone who was around Lucario started to head off in their own directions, leaving Ike alone in the castle courtyard. The next hours that passed by seemed like an eternity for Ike. Nursemaids, doctors, and even healers would appear at the castle, all hoping to keep the princess alive.

Zelda's breathing was changing rapidly. One moment it would be calm the next moment she would be hyperventilating. She groaned and grunted as many people tried to heal the gaping wound to her stomach. Impa left quickly from Zelda's side to tend to Link's wound. Not willing to alarm anyone, Impa had to mend Link's wounds by herself. She cleaned as much of his wounds, hoping that he wouldn't get infected. Once he was clean, Impa started to sew up his arm. Link would yell and grunt as he felt the needle go through his arm, creating a stitch. Impa tried to smile as she tried to look at the situation in a bright light. _At least Link's wounds are not fatal, _she thought to herself. Even after she tried to reassure herself, thoughts of Zelda's mortal wounds came into her mind.

Once she was done with tending to Link's wounds, she rushed back over to the princess. Nursemaids would leave with bowls of tainted water. White towels would leave either pink or crimson after they dealt with Zelda. Wolf walked over to Zelda and poked his head on the bed when he had a chance to. Zelda placed a soft hand on Wolf's head and caressed him, trying to get some comfort. Wolf was not one to show much sympathy, but as he saw the dying princess, he folded back his ears and let out a whine. Impa walked into Zelda's room and held Zelda's hand in hopes of comforting her. Zelda looked over at her nanny. "Is…Link alright?" she asked Impa softly.

"He is fine," Impa responded, "I have tended to him. He will be alright."

"What about Ike? Is he alright?"

Impa's soft smile disappeared. She let out a sigh. "I…I'm sure…he will do fine."

"Impa…am I…going to die?"

"Don't say that, Your Majesty…you shall live. It is destiny that you are to stop this evil. I can feel it…in my soul. I sensed a great deal of power coming from you…and I'd rather not have you think of such horrible thoughts. Come now…let us pray for your health. The goddess, Nayru…shall protect over you. Nayru…Goddess of Wisdom and just…please look upon this and save this innocent girl. She is not ready yet to depart to the heavens. Farore…bringer of life, Goddess of Courage give this princess a chance. Protect her now in your prime. Din…strongest of the three, Goddess of Power…give the princess the strength to live through this. She needs you now more than ever."

Zelda prayed along with Impa. The Triforce on her hand started to glow brightly. The prayer that Zelda had been doing was heard strongly and echoed through the heavens. The everlasting blue skies of the Sacred Realm were in a panic. Three slender, female figures gathered around a strange vortex. Images of the princess' suffering were shown through the vortex. One goddess looked at the vision is disgust. Her long, red hair was held together in a ponytail. Her attire was a soft toga dress which flowed from her voluptuous chest down to her ankles. A slit through her dress showed almost all of her right leg. Her yellow eyes burned brightly, like fire.

Standing next to her was a light hearted goddess. Her green hair was held in two buns which stuck out on her head. Her beautiful toga dress covered her shoulders down to her knees, exposing both of her legs in a sportish manner. She usually had a smile upon her face, but this time, she had a worried frown. The next goddess was a slender woman with doll like features. Her long, azure hair was left loose and free, only held by a tiara. Her long, toga dress reached from her shoulders down to her ankles. Her icy blue eyes were filled with much anger.

"The Princess of Destiny is dying…" Nayru, the blue haired goddess spoke, "I can feel her life draining by the second."

"It is a most unfortunate event…even I didn't see it coming," Din, the red haired goddess responded.

"How can the prophecy continue…if the Princess of Destiny is vanquished?" Farore, the green haired goddess asked.

"It can not happen…" Din spoke, "Without the Princess of Destiny, the Sages can not unit and send the Great King of Evil to the Evil Realm. She is the Seventh Sage…the leader of the Sages. Without her…order can not be at hand."

"But neither of us can stop her death," Farore said, "We are not in control of the Underworld. That…is Medusa's power."

"Medusa has long betrayed us and has tampered with forces unknown…reasoning with her shall not be an easy task. I doubt we could come to a mutual agreement without having any talk about power shifts."

"We can not stop the Princess of Destiny's demise…" Nayru spoke, "However…we can pass judgment."

"Judgment?"

"My law…has been broken so many times by mortals. Lies, thefts, rapes, murders…all of them have been caused by mortals…even after I set the laws for man to uphold. Yet man still thinks too highly of themselves. I am the Goddess of Wisdom…the creator of law and order…and I pass judgment. Judgment will be passed on everyone. No one can escape it. Ike will have to pay for his crimes."

"You are…going to punish the mortal?" Din asked.

"This mortal placed a dent on Hyrule's salvation…he can not be forgiven. I shall place my judgment on him…if he were to do one more shady deed. If his heart is at the wrong place…my heart shall place a curse…which can never be broken by mortal power."

Ike felt completely hopeless. He was not allowed anywhere near Zelda or Link during the entire time. He leaned up against the wall trying to conjure up an explanation about what happened not too long ago. Everything was a blur to him. Right now…the princess might die…and he was to blame for it. A loud chirping caught Ike's attention. He looked up at the sky to see Falco flying towards him. The tiny bird landed on his hand. He stuck out his claw to reveal a note tied around his claw. Ike took the note off from Falco's leg and read it. After a brief moment, he released Falco and dashed out of the castle.

So many thoughts came crashing into Ike's head. He didn't want to deal with them as he only wanted to reach Kakariko Village. He had to go back to his mercenary group. Ike bolted through the market town and rushed through the field. He reached Kakariko Village before dawn arrived. He didn't stop until he reached Impa's house and bolted in. His entrance caught the attention of most of the mercenaries. Samus looked at Ike then resumed to pet Pikachu who was situated on her shoulder.

Shinon glared at Ike's presence before he looked away in disgust. Gatrie remained quiet as he was busy trying to sharpen his lance. Boyd tried to keep himself occupied by inspected his axe. Oscar rushed around, trying to bring water and fresh towels to the wounded. Rolf whimpered as he tried not to cry at the moment. Fox placed a reassuring paw on Rolf's leg, trying to comfort him. Lyn was by the oven, trying to cook something to eat for everyone as Oscar was preoccupied with tending to the sick. Soren looked over at Ike and gave him probably the most sympathetic look the mage had ever given anyone. Marth was situated on a chair. He was calmly petting Sheeda. Ike walked towards the dormitories, however it seemed to him the further he walked into the house the colder it got. Though he was not looking at his friends, he could tell everyone had their eyes on him. He approached the beds and found a wounded Greil and a wounded Pit. Sheik had been busy trying to tend to Pit's wounds. It was a hassle to clean the blood from his feathers and trying to mend him without hearing a painful squeal.

Rhys, Mist, and Titania were by Greil's bedside, trying to keep him alive. Rhys was growing weary and tired from his constant healing. It seemed to him that everyone he was doing was in vain. Mist whimpered as she tried to heal her father as well. Titania held Greil's hand, trying to reassure both him and her that he was still alive. "Commander…" Titania said softly.

"Father?" Ike asked softly. Upon hearing his voice, Rhys, Mist, Titania, Pit, and Sheik looked at him.

"Brother…" Mist said softly with teary eyes.

"Ike…I'm sorry…we are doing the best we can," Titania said, "but…it's too much for us. Before your father…passed out, he wanted us to give you a message. He said if anything were to happen to him…that you, Ike, shall take over the Greil Mercenaries…as the new commander."

"No…Father…you shouldn't talk like that…" Ike responded to the unconscious Greil. "Father is not going to die…he'll live…I just know it."

"Ike…please don't cause anymore strain…" Titania responded, "We're doing the best we can. If…Commander Greil passes on…it is the will of the goddess…Ashera to send him to the heavens."

Ike looked away from his father. Though he only saw more strain as he saw the wounded Pit on his back. "What…happened to Pit?" Ike asked.

"The Black Knight…he attacked us," Sheik said softly, "Pit…tried to protect me…and lost his wings. We tried to keep the medallion away from him…but in the end, we lost it. The Black Knight…took the medallion and almost killed us."

Ike shook his head in disbelief. He couldn't believe all this was happening. Though no one said a single word to him, he knew that everyone, though they didn't want to admit it, were blaming him for what happened to both Zelda and Commander Greil. In an impulsive act, Ike ran out of the house and left Kakariko. He had to get away in order to think. _I can't believe this is happening, _he thought, _so many hurt…so many deaths…why is this happening? Zelda is dying…my father has accepted death…Pit has long his wings…I managed to break Link's arm…everyone distrusts me…how could all of this have happened?_ Ike ran through the fields until his legs gave out. He fell upon the muddy ground and shook in both anger and fear. "I have…failed…everyone," he said softly, "How could I ever…fix this mess?"

"Perhaps…I can be of assistance?" Came a deep woman voice.

Ike looked up from the ground to see a dark aura vortex in front of him. The body of a woman formed from the aura. Medusa emerged, smiling at Ike with her vile smile.

"You…" Ike said, "Aren't you…that dark goddess?"

"'Dark goddess'?" Medusa asked. She clicked her tongue at him. "No, no, no, no, no! You have it all wrong, Mortal. I am not a 'dark goddess'. I am merely the Goddess of the Underworld. Two completely different things. I deal with the dead…the other deals with chaos."

"What do you want from me?"

"I want to help you, Ike, is it?"

Ike cocked an eyebrow at her. "Help me? Why do you want to help me? Aren't you helping Ganondorf? Why should I trust you?"

"Well then…Ike, listen to my ply. I am a goddess who lost all her powers when the Goddess of Light, Palutena took over the heavens and reign supreme. I was sent to the Underworld because no other god wanted to take that job. I grew sick of dealing with the dead and commanded a fair trade with her…but she denied me and stripped me of my powers. Ganondorf found my shrine and asked for my assistance. I came to his aid in hopes that he will help me too. But…I don't like what he's doing. I hate hurting others…and tainting my name. All I want…is to have my powers restored to me…I want my medallion back…Lehran's Medallion."

"Don't you have it?" Ike asked. "The Black Knight took it."

Upon hearing that, Medusa's eyes widen. "He does, does he? He failed to mention that. Either way…forget the medallion for now. I can save your princess."

"How can you?"

"I told you…I am the Goddess of the Underworld. I deal with death and the dead. I know when everyone is destined to die and I can speed up, slow down, or stop the process. Right now…my servants are taking our Zelda's thread, reading to cut it to end her life. I can stop that from happening. I can stop her death."

"You can?!" Ike got up from the ground. "Please…tell me…"

Medusa tried to smile pleasantly at him. "My dear sweet mortal," she said in a fake nice tone, "I know what you can do to save your beloved. I may not have much power at the moment, but there is one thing…that CAN help me." Medusa extended her hands in front of her. A strange ball of light was formed from her magic. The ball of light showed a vision of the Gerudo Desert. It went through the Gerudo Fortress, through the Haunted Wasteland and arrived at the Desert Colossus. "There is a place you must go. You must travel through the harsh desert, through the fortress, passed the cursed wasteland, until you reached the end of the desert. In front of you, you shall see a temple. That is the Spirit Temple."

The ball of light showed Ike a large figure of a woman which was carved by stone. She was seated on the ground with her palms extended to the sky. At the bottom of her body, a flight of stairs leading to an entrance was situated there. A vision of the interior of the temple was shown. Strange murals, dozens of traps, endless abysses, and monsters were shown. The vision stopped as it reached the heart of the temple. A large, dark looking mirror laid perfectly in front of a statue of a woman which had a snake for a head. "Now, go through the temple," Medusa said, "and you shall reach the heart of the temple. There you shall find a mirror known as the Mirror of Twilight. It is a portal which will lead you to the dark world. It is a world in which only darkness reigns as its dusk all the time. Now that's the easy part…the next part is that you must go through the mirror and retrieve an ancient relic called the Fused Shadow."

The ball of light created the figure of a strange relic which looked like a broken helmet. A strange design decorated the helmet and glowed brightly. "The Fused Shadow has unholy powers that only a god or a Twili can use," Medusa stated, "You will not be able to use it for it will be unresponsive to a Beorc such as yourself. Bring me the Fused Shadow and its guardian. The relic shall be protected by a member of the Royal Twili Family. If there is trouble while trying to convince this person to leave the Twili Realm…" Medusa conjured up with her hand a strange pendant. The jewel in the middle was a black onyx. Holding the onyx was a rusted gold embroider. "This will be good enough to…convince them. Place the pendant on their body without question. It will be enough to have the guardian down to their knees wanting to go with you. Bring me the Fused Shadow…and I can harness its power to save your princess."

"If I do all this…what do you get out of it?" Ike asked.

"Nothing…just that I want my Fused Shadow back. It was taken by another goddess when I was stripped from my powers. It will mean a great deal to me. So…will you do it? If you help me gain my powers…I shall help you defeat Ganondorf as well. Think about it…the power of a goddess…at your hands."

Ike took a while to think this through. So much has happened in so little time. He looked back at Medusa. _What other choice do I have? _He thought. "Alright," Ike said, "I'll do it. I'll get you the Fused Shadow."

"You will?" Medusa smiled, "That's wonderful, Ike. Oh…you will not regret this. Now…in order for this to be legit…you need to sign a contract with me."

"A contract?" Ike asked. "You didn't say…"

"I'm not asking much," Medusa responded as she placed a clawed finger on Ike's lips, "Just that you sign this to agree on this little quest. It's almost to reassure you that I will help you once you've helped me. Now…take the pendant…" Ike grabbed the pendant from Medusa and pocketed it away. Once her hands were free, Medusa dissipated the ball of light and conjured up a strange parchment in her hands. It was written in a dark language in which Ike couldn't understand. Medusa took out a quill and handed it to Ike. "Go ahead…sign away," Medusa said.

"What does it say?" Ike asked.

"Just everything we were talking about. Now…do you want to save your princess and father or not?"

Ike frowned as he looked at the paper. He placed the quill on the parchment and began to write. However nothing was written. "What gives?" He asked.

"Oh…this contract is different. You see…it requires you to write it in a special ink: blood. You need to sign in your blood in order for it to work. Now…just prick your finger and dip the pen into your blood."

Ike did as he was told and pricked his finger. He stuck in the quill into his left finger and pulled out the quill. He placed the point on the parchment and wrote his name in blood. Once he was finished, Medusa rolled up parchment. "Heh heh, good work," Medusa told Ike, "Now…I'll need your…" Medusa quickly plucked a hair from Ike's head. "This is to tie the contract, binding both you and me into it."

"You will keep your promise…right?" Ike asked.

"Yes…this contract is full proof on it. I will never go back on my word. Now…I'll be nice enough to teleport you to the Desert Colossus. The rest of the way…that is up to you."

"Thanks…that will save me the walk," Ike responded.

"Good…now…think happy thoughts." Medusa extended her arm towards Ike. Concentrating her power, she created a vortex underneath the blue haired swordsman. In a matter of moments Ike was teleported from her. Medusa smirked evily at her new contract. "Such a fool you are…" she said darkly, "I guess any mortal will do anything foolish…for the sake of 'love'."

"Such a horrible deal…" Nayru spoke harshly, "the foolish mortal is causing more trouble than he's worth."

"Sister…? What are you…?" Farore asked.

"The mortal is on his way to the Twilight Realm. He is going to bring the unholy relic into the light world along with the Dark Princess. We cannot allow him to bring such chaos into this land. I shall now place a curse on Ike. When he steps into the world of Twilight, my protection shall not carry on. Instead of retaining his human form…he shall be transformed into what his heart has told me he is…a Feral Beast. He shall maintain that form…until he dies."

**End of chapter! **

_Chapter Twenty__-One: Ike through the Mirror of Twilight_

_"Let's play a game: if you can find me in two hours...I'll help you. If you can't, you'll have to be my slave for all eternity__."_


	21. Chapter 21: Ike Through the Mirror of Tw

_Alright, here comes a new chapter. I hope all of you will enjoy this one. It will be action packed and guaranteed to leave some of you guys shocked. Beware, this chapter is rather bloody and has intense violence._

**A Hero's Creed**

**Chapter Twenty-One: Ike Through the Mirror of Twilight**

Ike finally teleported to the desert. The first thing he did was inspect that he was in the correct place. If the harsh desert winds were enough to confirm that he was in the right environment. He looked up to see the same monument that was the Spirit Temple entrance. "This must be the place then," Ike said softly as he walked inside of the desert monument. Once inside, the strange putrid smell of rotting flesh filled up in Ike's nostrils. He scrunched up his nose as he continued exploring the Spirit Temple.

Ike walked into the temple, trying to look for a way in. On to the left was a small hole in which seemed impossible for him to squeeze through. To the right was a large cinderblock. Placing his hands on the block, Ike tried to push the block. Grunting and straining, he could not even make the block budge. After an hour of trying to push the block, Ike groaned. "What now?" he asked. "How can I ever find this mirror if there is no way to get inside?! Damn it!" Ike sighed as he walked over to the center of the first room. He looked up and noticed a large hole on the ceiling. "Is the…entrance there? If that's so…how the hell am I suppose to get up there?"

Ike walked under the large hole in the ceiling to inspect it. His metallic type boots walked over to part of the floor which had a strange sun symbol on it. As soon as he approached it, the floor beneath him shook. The platform below him levitated, lifting him to another part of the temple. The mercenary ended up in a dark hallway which its only source of illumination would be a light source that was squeezing out from the crack of the door before him. Desperate and having no other choice, Ike walked off from the platform and down the hallway. He placed his hand on the doorknob and opened the door.

Ike staggered slightly as he felt that there wasn't much floor to the next room. Where Ike had been standing would be considered to be the third floor to the temple. To both his right and left were platforms that were on the second floor. Right below the platforms would be the first floor entrances that were blocked off and at the very bottom was the long downfall that would be considered to be the basement. In front of Ike was a tiny platform which was held together by four chains. A bright ray of light came down from the hole in the ceiling, illuminating the platform. Beyond it, was the large monument of the snake headed woman that Ike was shown.

"The Mirror of Twilight is beyond that head," he said softly. The only problem was how was he going to reach the monument. The distance between the chained platform and where he was standing looked nearly impossible for one to jump across. However, Ike had to try something. He sheathe the Regal Sword on his back and walked slowly back into the hallway. "I just hope this works…" he said softly. Once he was at a good distance, Ike ran down the hallway towards the gap. Once he reached the edge, Ike jumped and flew across the gap. His body flew in an arch. He extended his hands and barely grasped the edge of the chain platform. The impact of his jump managed to rock the platform as if it were a swing. As the mercenary swung around, the Regal Sword slide off from his sheath and fell off from his back.

Ike felt somewhat lighter. He looked behind him to see the Regal Sword fall down. The ivory blade shattered into a thousand pieces as it hit the stone ground. Not being able to grieve about his sword, Ike concentrated more on trying to hoist himself up on the platform. Once he was able to climb up, he held into the chains. He swung himself across to the monument, which proved to be much easier than trying to jump to it. He took a moment to catch his breath before he walked towards the door. Ike opened the monument door and walked inside. The blue haired warrior was now inside of a dark, eerie room. There wasn't much light to the room except for the three torches that were still on fire. The other seven torches had burned out. Smoke rose from the torches, indicating that they didn't burn out too long ago.

Though it was poor lighten, Ike could make what the rest of the room looked like. There was a shaggy, scarlet carpet right below his feet which was sprawled out, creating a path for Ike to follow. Cracks and broken pieces on the floor complimented the broken pillars that supported the monument. Ike walked carefully, avoiding the rubble that was on the ground as he followed the only clue he had now, the red carpet. At the end of the red carpet was a small elevated area. In the middle was a large mirror which was held by two black metallic pillars and four thick ropes. From far away, the mirror looks like it was merely floating in the air. The frame around the round mirror was embodied with strange symbols and designs that didn't look neither Hylian nor anything Tellius.

Ike examined the mirror, touching its frame and the ropes. He had no idea on how to get to this "Twilight Realm" as Medusa had so stated. His left hand slide off from the mirror's frame and touched the mirror itself. In a matter of moments, the glass disappeared and Ike's hand fell through. The blue haired mercenary jumped back a bit as he pulled his hand out. He looked at the mirror, catching his own reflection. However, the background surrounding Ike changed. Instead of seeing the stony, dark walls, Ike saw himself in what appeared to be a desolate wasteland. Dark flurries fell from the sky. At the very back of the mirror's image was a massive castle with twisting towers that seem to reach the darken sky. Despite his better intuition, Ike approached the mirror once more. He extended his right hand and touched the surface of the mirror. The surface rippled like water.

Ike pulled his hand back once more as he watched the mirror ripple, slowly coming to a stop. He narrowed his eyes before he walked through the mirror. The mirror's surface caved in, into the shape of a square. The reflections of Ike's body disappeared as the mirror's surface shifted into a dark green hue. Purple markings would light up, making a pathway. Ike's body shook lightly as he looked down at his feet. His azure eyes widen as he saw his very feet disperse into black spheres. He let out a yell before his entire body turned into black cloud and flew through the portal.

The black spheres gathered on the other side of the mirror. The spheres swirled around, recreating Ike's body. The first thing the mercenary did was look down. He checked around to see if he was still in one peace. Letting out a sigh of relief, Ike was able to relax for a moment. "At least I'm still alive," he said softly, "so…this is…the Twilight Realm?" The ominous setting of the Twilight Realm was even creepier than the mirror had led on. The dark flurries fell from the dark clouds, like snowflakes. Ike walked over to the edge of the cliff he was on and looked down. Everything that was not land was dark abysses. One drop would lead to certain death.

"I better go look for that Fused Shadow thing," Ike said softly as he walked away from the edge. Taking a few steps away from the mirror had caused the warrior to become lightheaded. Ike placed a hand on his forehead as he tried to feel better while the feeling passed. Instead, the feeling intensified. He felt such pain down his spine, as if it was being twisted and turned. He fell down to his knees, placing his hands on the ground. He shouted and yelled as his body ached. He swore he could hear his bones cracking. The shouts and screams that emitted from Ike, the pitch changed slightly. A deep growl emitted from Ike's throat. His hands got seeming shorter as his tails narrowed and grew longer. A dark, navy blue tail busted out from his pants. His legs shorten as the joints of his knees as well as his feet twisted and turned. Ike let out a howl as his face stretched and narrowed. His blue hair extended from the top of his head down to his neck. Blue fur covered his once pale skin. His clothing slid off with easy, only leaving the pendant that Zelda gave him and the red cape that Soren gave him remained.

Ike crawled out from his clothing. The red cape that was around his neck was barely hanging on. Ike looked down at his hands as he tried to stand up. He was horrified to see that they were no longer Beorc hands, but rather large, blue paws. He jumped back , falling over on his back. At that moment, he managed to see that his legs were animal legs as well. In a state of panic, Ike tries to yell for help, instead a loud howl was all he could conjure up.

_What…? What happened to me? _He thought as he scrambled to his feet. _Is…was this some sort of trap? Did Medusa trick me?! No…something is up._ Ike's right front paw touched a strange object beneath his clothing. He moved his clothing aside to find the black pendant that Medusa had given him. _Whatever the case, I need to at least continue on this journey. _Ike picked up the pendant with his fangs. He slowly headed off into the direction of the large Twilight castle.

At the far distance, Ike could make out the forms of what appears to be the citizens of the Twilight Realm. They were strange looking creatures with yellow and orange beady eyes. Their entire bodies were covered in blue highlights which glowed brightly. When they spoke to each other, it was a strange language that Ike could not understand. He tried his best to ignore them and remain hidden, but the sight of a blue wolf walking around seemed that it was an unlikely event that happens everyday. Ike finally arrived at the front door of the castle. The door, much like everything else in the realm, it was dark green with strange, glowing marks on it. The door opened and out stepped out two Twili. Ike stared in amazement as these fascinating creatures walked out from the castle. The Twili were equally amazed by Ike as they kept their eyes locked on him.

The door to the castle began to close halfway. Ike quickly scurried to the door and jumped inside just as the door was slamming shut. _The was close, _he thought. _Not too sure how to open that door though._ Ike continued walking down the dark castle. His paws steps echoed through the hallway, almost intensifying with each step. There were no paintings, no decorations, with the exception of the glowing lines, nothing at all. It almost appeared like he was in limbo and that he was a lingering soul, trying to find either heaven or hell. He wanted to get out of there. He felt like he was going to go mad at any moment.

A faint giggle was heard passed the hallways. Ike's blue ears perked up as he tried to pick up on the sound again. The giggle came once again. Curiosity got to him as he decided to follow the noise. He dashed madly, his claws created the same clacking sound. Dashing passed the twisting corridors and dead end hallways, Ike found himself in a strange room. The area itself seemed to be completely dark except for a strange ray of light that was illuminating a bizarre item that was floating. Ike approached the strange item carefully. His eyes barely adjusted to the new setting of the room. Before him, was the object of his desire: the Fused Shadow. _There it is! _he thought. _Now all I have to do is…_

A dark shadow appeared before Ike. It had came out from the darkness of the room. The same giggle which lured Ike to the Fused Shadow originated from the shadow before him. "You're such a naughty creature," spoke the shadow. Its voice was light but rather dark for a woman. The figure stepped into the light to reveal a grey skinned woman. On both her arms and legs were the strange light blue-green markings that were found all over the Twilight Realm. Upon her chest, she was not wearing any top. Instead, her breast area was in an ebony hue. Her black skirt was slit, showing off her right leg. Her long, red hair was held together by a golden hair ornament which held her black hood that covered most of her head. Two ponytails were tied together in front of her neck. Her dark lips let out a smirk as her red eyes narrowed in a malevolent look.

Ike stepped back a bit as he saw the woman before him. He was slightly impressed by her beauty then blushed at her lack of clothing. However he shook his head as he focused on trying to get the Fused Shadow. The woman knelt down before Ike and lifted his snout towards her, getting his full attention. Her fiery red eyes met with his calm blue eyes. "Hmm…is there a specific reason why you're here?" she asked. "Not to mention…are you looking at me…or at the Fused Shadow?"

Ike jerked away from her. He tried to keep his distances from her. His eyes shifting back and forth from Midna to the Fused Shadow. "This woman…" Ike whined in his wolf language, "she must be the guardian…" As if understanding what Ike had said, the woman looked over at the Fused Shadow. Her sly eyes slowly turned back to Ike, indicating that she had an idea cross her mind.

"You want that…don't you?" she asked.

"Yes," Ike whined as he bobbed his head at the woman.

"Let's play a game: if you can find me in two hours…I'll help you. If you can't, you'll have to be my slave for all eternity. What do you say?" the woman raised up from the ground and placed her hands on her hips.

Ike looked up at her. He wasn't too sure at what to do at this point, but he had to follow what she said. _If this woman is the guardian to the Fused Shadow, I'll need to take her with me, _he thought. _I don't want to force her to come with me…but if I play along…she promised she'd help._ Ike bobbed his head, telling the woman that he agrees to playing.

The woman smiled slyly. She took the Fused Shadow into her hands, showing it to Ike. Ike looked at it with amazement before he yelped as he watched the Fused Shadow spark slightly. It broken into four pieces in her arms. The woman closed her eyes. The Fused Shadow glowed brightly, radiating a strange power. The Twili woman's body split into four different entities. She gave a piece of the Fused Shadow to each of them to hold. "Alright then, doggie…" she spoke in a dark voice, "if you manage to find all four pieces within two hours, you win. If you take longer than that…you lose. Ready…go!"

The four Twili women jumped away from Ike, they disappeared into the darkness, laughing as they took the Fused Shadow pieces with them. Ike snorted lightly as he looked around him. He had to find the missing pieces before time ran out. He ran out of the room and back towards the twisting corridors. The next fifteen minutes, Ike had spent searching around blindly. There were many traps, such as floors that would fall and drop into the dark abyss. "This is pointless," Ike growled, "at this rate I'll get lost and I'll lose the game! Damn it! I need to find out what to do!" He closed his eyes. "What…am I supposed to do?"

"…Ike…." spoke a gentle, female voice.

"Hmm?" Ike opened his eyes. "I thought…I heard my name…"

"Ike…cursed one from Tellius…" came the voice again, "can you hear me?"

"Yes…yes, I can hear you!" Ike looked around, trying to find that source. A tiny, pink ball floated around. He danced in front of Ike's snout as it continued talking.

"That is good. Listen to me…you have been cursed by Nayru…the Goddess of Wisdom," warned the floating, pink ball.

"What?!" Ike let out. "Cursed….by a Hylian goddess? Why? How?"

"In your rage…you almost slew the Princess of Destiny. She is dying now…only time can finish her off now."

After hearing that, Ike's blue ears folded back. His tail tucked in, in a shameful way.

"However…I can tell that you…care deeply about the princess. So much…that you risk your life for her. You're…in love with her…aren't you?"

Ike only whined in response.

"Then…I shall help you. I can't take you directly to the Fused Shadow…but I can help you locate them. Now…what I need you to do, you need to get in contact with your animal instincts."

"Animal…instincts?"

"You must close your eyes…and let your sixth sense take over. Only then…will the path you need to take shall be revealed to you."

"I really don't know what you're talking about…but I'm running out of time here, so I'll go with what you say." Ike let out a sigh as he closed his eyes. For a moment, all he could see was nothing but darkness. The soft sounds he would normally hear intensified. He sniffed the air, catching the whiff of strange odors. Whispers in the dark would seem like shouts to him. Slowly, Ike opened his eyes, the world around him seemed much darker, as if he was lost in the black abyss from the outside. Through the darkness, balls of light were scattered around by his feet. A light green path created by the balls of light laid before him, leading him towards the darkness. Ike growled as he followed the path.

Ike panted as he ran in the shadows, following the lit path blindly. The path ended in front of a door. Ike whined and pawed a the door as he tried to open it. "Now this is just cruel!" Ike let out as he lunged at the door and chewed on the door. Ike whined like crazy, trying to figure out how to open the door. Just as Ike was about to give up on the door, the pink ball of light appeared before him. It floated in front of him, trying to catch his attention. Once his eyes were locked onto its figure, the ball of light floated over to the door. It penetrated through the door and in a matter seconds, it opened.

Baffled, yet unfazed, Ike ran inside. The room before him, was a plain. It had absolutely nothing except for the floating Twili woman. She crossed her legs and glared at Ike. "You found the first piece," she said in an aggravated tone, "doesn't matter…you'll never find the other three in time. You have an hour and fifteen minutes to find the other pieces. You won't get to them in time. Hehehe, good luck on finding them, doggie!" The Twili woman's body faded away into black squares that flew out of the room. The Fused Shadow piece floated in the air for a bit before it was whisked away and taken into the room it was originally in. Ike let out a sigh of relief before he continued his search for the other three pieces.

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­______________________________________________________________________

"This is all a mess…." Vaati snarled as he walked at the desert entrance. The wind seer had been worried about Dark Zelda since she had not returned the following evening. Without word of her, Vaati decided to look for her. As he looked at the desert entrance, he noticed the large broken cliffs and holes on the ground, indicating that a massive battle took place. On the ground, puddles of dried blood mixed in with dirt painted the red earth beneath his sandals. "Whatever happened here….wasn't good…" he said softly. "Now…I wonder what really did happen to Dark Zelda…"

Vaati stopped walking and hid behind a rock. At the distance, a green cloaked figure walked in the desert. It walked slowly towards two glowing spheres on the ground. The figure picked up both the spheres and inspected them. Vaati could tell that both spheres were Angelus Crystals. The only question that lingered in his mind was who's crystals were those. The cloaked broke one of the crystals, shattering it into a thousand pieces. As for the other crystal, it placed the crystal inside of a pouch it had carrying around its waist.

The wind mage placed two and two together. He had a feeling that the crystals that were on the ground were Dark Link and Dark Zelda. He got out of hiding and ran towards the cloaked figure. He charged upon a powerful spell in his hands, however he stopped as he felt such a strong aura emitting from the figure before him. The cloaked being looked at Vaati. It let out a soft smile before it started to walk off. "Don't worry about your precious shadow…" spoke the figure, "I'll take good care of her. You should be more concerned about the one who sent her to her death."

Vaati remained quiet for a moment before he left the desert entrance and headed back to the Gerudo Fortress. At his study, the wind mage pondered. He knew that Dark Zelda was vanquished. The more he thought about her, the angrier he got. He slammed a fist on the table, leaving an imprint of it. "Why was she…? Dark Link was suppose to look out for her…" he snarled beneath clenched teeth.

"It was because of him that your shadow passed away," spoke a deep voice.

Vaati snarled softly as he turned to face the Black Knight. "You…where the hell were you these passed days? Medusa has been looking for you."

"I had to leave on business," replied the Black Knight.

"Business? What business?"

"I have my own affairs to attend to…much like you have your own apart from Ganondorf's and Medusa's. I only came here with a proposition I want to offer you."

Vaati cocked his eyebrow at the Black Knight. "What kind of proposition did you have in mind? And what's more…why should I?"

The Black Knight let out a soft chuckle as he walked around Vaati. "I want to strike a deal with you. After all…didn't you care about your creation? Also…I heard that the only reason why you're even here helping…is because you were released from the altar…that one that had the Sword of Four Soul. You were trapped there ages ago, thanks to the ancestor of the current Hero of Time. Since Ganondorf released you from your prison, you are to serve under him whether you like it or not. Your jewel…is also your prison…isn't it?"

"Why do you care?" Vaati asked.

"To be given a marking…as a sign of slavery…I can assure you…I know that feeling. So…I'll give you an option…" The Black Knight reached into his pocket and pulled out a dirty cloth. He opened the cloth to reveal Lehran's Medallion. Vaati let out a slight gasp as he saw the medallion. "All you have to do…is just do one favor for me. Comply with it…and I shall free you."

"…what is it…you want me to do?"

______________________________________________________________

Forty-five minutes and two Fused Shadow parts later, Ike was running around, heading towards the top of the castle. He concentrated on following the glowing path on the ground. He arrived at a twisting stairway. Quickly, the feral Ike scurried up the steps. He heard a strange sound from behind him as he dashed up the stairs. He turned around to see the steps he was on were shaking and falling down into the dark abyss. Ike let out a yelp before he madly dashed up the stairs. Each step he took felt like it would be his last as each step took less and less time to fall down. Ike had reached the top of the stairwell before the final step fell down. Panting, Ike noticed that he will have to find another way back down. Not worrying about that at the moment, Ike continued his search for the final Fused Shadow piece. He trotted softly into a room which apparently had strange crystallized boxes. He poked his nose on one of them. A very putrid odor came from the box. Ike snorted as he moved away from the box. "These….are coffins," he said, "am I…in a tomb? Never mind that!" Ike searched the entire room, running passed the Twili coffins. At the far end of the room, Ike found the final Fused Shadow.

The guardian of the Fused Shadow didn't seem pleased. She glared at Ike. "It seems you found all the pieces under two hours," she said.

"Great! That means you'll help me now! We should hurry, Zelda's in trouble!" Ike barked.

The guardian rolled her eyes before she placed the Fused Shadow piece upon her head. The piece she had in her arms covered her entire left eye and fit nicely, like some sort of crown. The guardian let out a grunt which caused her red hair to grow. Her hair grew out and took the from of a large hand. The hand grasped Ike tightly before teleporting both of them out. Only the sound of Ike's howl would be heard. Ike would open his eyes and find himself back in the Fused Shadow altar. Before him were the four guardians. Three guardians released their hold on their pieces and fused back with the original guardian, who was the one wearing the Fused Shadow.

"Well…it looks like you've won this round, doggie," she said softly, "and as I promised…I'd help you…"

"Great! Follow me! We gotta get to Hyrule!" Ike barked.

"However…I don't see why I should keep my word," giggled the guardian.

"What?"

"I said I would help…doesn't mean I HAD to help you. There is no sort of contract binding either of us to such a truce. I had fun and I hope you did too. The way to the door is behind you…so don't find me rude if I don't take you to it. Have a nice day." The guardian squealed before she giggled malevolently at the poor, misfortunate Ike.

Ike, on the other hand, wasn't too pleased with what was going on. He barked, whined, and snarled at the guardian. "You wicked bitch!" Ike howled, "you said if I played your stupid game, you'd help. Was this all a waste of time?!" He stopped barking as he remembered what Medusa gave him. He looked at his right leg to find the black pendant wrapped around it. He undid the pendant with his teeth and held it tightly. _I hope this works, _he thought. Ike swung the pendant around. He released it and threw it directly at the guardian. Upon contact with the pedant, the guardian screamed a very bloody scream. She fell over, beyond the ray of light, disappearing from Ike's eyesight.

A tiny black hand emerged from the darkness and clawed its way into the light. A tiny person crawled over to the light. Upon its head was the Fused Shadow. Long, red hair sprouted from the Fused Shadow and hung close to the rather pudgy body of the imp. The same black and grey skin with the strange blue-green markings applied to it, just like the guardian. The tiny imp looked at her body and let out a yell. "What…what have you done to me?!" she scowled. "Undo this mess…right now!"

Just by the tone of her voice, Ike was able to identify that the imp before him, was the guardian herself. By the effects of the pendant, she was transformed into that imp. Ike walked over to the Fused Shadow pieces and picked one up with his teeth. Carefully, he slipped it down on his chest. The pieces were held close to Ike's body by the red cape. Ike took one last look at the guardian before he snorted at her and walked out of the room. The guardian hissed as she felt her body burn up from the inside. The black pendant glowed brightly, releasing some sort of power over her. In a matter of moments, the guardian ran from the room and caught up with Ike. "You! Stop right there!" she shouted. "I demand that you return me to my normal form! I can't take this piece of crap pendant off of me! Take it off…now!"

"Why should I?" Ike asked. "You went back on your word. I would like to help you…but I needed YOUR help and you lied to me."

"Dog! Help me or else!"

Ike ignored the guardian as he walked out from the castle. Even though the Twili were watching him walk out with the Fused Shadow, no one tried to do anything. Ike looked at the Twili and notice that they seem to cower in fear of him for some reason. Ike ignored them and approached the Mirror of Twilight. The guardian jumped in front of Ike, blocking his way to the Mirror of Twilight. "Don't you DARE leave this realm!" the guardian shouted. "I'm not going to let you walk out with that! With this stupid pendant, I can't use the Fused Shadow or anything. Take it off and I promise to help you. Come on…take it off!"

Not amused and in a hurry, Ike bit into the guardian's red hair, and lifted her from the ground. The guardian protested and shouted at the blue wolf. Ike merely ignored them as he walked through the Mirror of Twilight and arrived back at the Light World. The guardian looked around. She let out a gasp as she noticed she's now in the Light World. "You bastard! Put me back!" she hissed. Ike growled slightly as he walked out of the mirror's room. The guardian moaned as she followed Ike. "Listen, I know you need to use the Fused Shadow, for what reason I'll never know," the guardian said, "but I'm sure we can come with a compromise. Take off this pendant from my neck and I'll let you use it for a bit. Just…put me back!"

Ike snarled as he looked at the guardian. He didn't feel sorry for her, but he did pity her. Before he could respond to her, dark aura appeared before Ike. Ike jumped back as the aura took the form of Medusa. The dark goddess smiled at Ike as she approached him. "Very good, Ike," she said in a dark voice, "you have done well to bring me the Fused Shadow…oh…and you used the pendant to bring me the princess."

"Princess?" Ike whined as he looked at the guardian.

"This is marvelous…" Medusa laughed as she took the Fused Shadow pieces from Ike and held them in her hands. Her eyes burned brightly with dark ambitions. "Now…I have the Fused Shadow in my hands…"

"Hey! What about what you promised?!" Ike barked.

"Oh…that's right…well, I'll save your princess. Just give me that princess that's next to you."

"No!" shouted the Twilight Princess. "Don't you dare touch me! I'm not going with you! You're that dark goddess…Medusa, aren't you?!"

"Hehehe…so it seems that you have been talking to her, haven't you? So…I take it that _she _told you everything. All there is to know…about the history of this world."

"She only told me about how she and the Twili got banished from the Light World. Also…about you…the goddess of the dead. She said that you were conniving and shouldn't be trusted because you're sore about taking responsibility for the Underworld rather than taking the Heavens."

Medusa's smile faded into a scowl. "That's very funny…coming from a powerless girl," she said, "thanks to my pendant, you're as useless as a dying cat. Now…Ike, hand her over to me and I'll let you be on your way."

The Twilight Princess looked at Ike with slightly pleading eyes. "You can't hand me to her!" She shouted. "Listen…I know we got off on the wrong foot, but if you hand me to her, you'll be making a big mistake! That goddess…she's bad news and if you follow her, you'll only regret your decision."

"Ike…hand over the princess to me," Medusa said in a calm manner, "it's only a fair trade. A princess for a princess. What importance is she to you? She's no one you care about. She has been treating you bad, hasn't she? YOUR princess is waiting. Now…hand over the princess."

"Don't do it, dog!" the Twilight Princess protested. "You're making a big mistake!"

"Ike…hand her over."

"Dog…don't do it!"

Ike let out a sigh. He really didn't want to trade in the life of another to save someone, but what choice did he have was what he thought. He walked over to Medusa and placed the Twilight Princess in front of her. The princess cower in fear as Medusa picked up the princess by her hair and laughed at her. "Oh, you have done well, Ike," Medusa said, "I never thought you would have kept your end of the bargain so perfectly. Down to the very last word. I suppose you could receive my congratulations on a job well done."

"Great…can we go now? I really need to see Zelda!" Ike whined.

"Oh…I bet you're just DYING to see your princess, aren't you?" Medusa asked. "The beautiful and powerful Princess Zelda: the Princess of Destiny." Medusa extended her free hand out. White aura formed within her hand, creating a light orb. The orb showed the vision of Princess Zelda laying on her bed. Her face was ghastly pale, dark rings formed around her eyes, her golden hair was in a mess. She looked so sickly. Zelda moved her head as she tried to breath. The very vision worried Ike even more.

"Laying upon her large, silk bed is the Princess Zelda," Medusa continued, "loved and adored by all…but not as much as a mercenary; a lad that hails from a far off place. She had conquered his heart as he has hers. Their love was forbidden, kept in secret for long. It was like a fairytale romance…or so it seemed. Consumed by power, the mercenary attacked his beloved in a foul rage. Now she lays in bed, waiting to die…as her valiant lover comes begging to the gods for help. He foolishly goes into the dark world, kidnapping a princess and stealing their treasure…all for the sake of saving his love. Now he comes to me, handing me over the treasure and princess…but…from him to save his beloved, he'll have to travel back as a feral beast from the desert storm, through the pirates' den, passed the meadow, to the town, and into the castle all in due time. He will arrive just a few hours short as they carry his love's body to the temple so she can be buried along with her ancestors. Without the Princess of Destiny, the world purges into darkness. Famine, war, pestilance, and death shall reign, as I, the goddess of the Underworld will rule the Heavens. And it will be all thanks to the noble hero who did all this mess…for the sake of love! Hehehe!" Medusa cackled loudly as she looked upon Ike's misfortune.

"No…this can't be," Ike said. "Did I mess up again?! No! I can't let this happen!" Ike snarled and barked before he ran over to Medusa, leapt at her, and bit hard on her hand. Medusa yelled as she dropped the Twilight Princess and the Fused Shadow on the ground. She glared angry at Ike. The Twilight Princess fell on the ground, she quickly gathered the Fused Shadow as she looked at Ike.

"What…? Why are you…helping me now?" the princess asked.

Ike got in between Medusa and the princess. He stood his ground, protecting the Twilight Princess at all costs. Snarling and growling, Ike glared at Medusa. The goddess of the Underworld wasn't too happy at all with how Ike was acting. "So…you decided to go back on your word…you ungrateful mutt," Medusa scowled, "a monster like you…will enjoy being that way forever! Now…watch as your precious one dies!"

Ike knew at this point, he couldn't do anything to prevent her from dying. He closed his eyes as he whined. "Zelda…I'm sorry." Breathing heavily, Ike awaited for Medusa to tell him that she was dead. All throughout that time, he kept remembering all the wonderful times he had with Zelda. He still remembered the first day they met. It was a rough start, but it was worth it just to at least stand next to her, to smile at her, to talk to her everyday for the passed year. More than anything, Ike desired to hear her voice one more time.

"Ike…" came a soft voice, "Ike…open your eyes…"

"…Zelda?" Ike asked.

"Not really…but you should open your eyes anyway."

Ike slowly opened his eyes. In front of him stood the Princess of Twilight. She grabbed his face and shook him violently. "Finally!" the princess let out. "You opened your eyes. Geez…you were lost in your wonderful memories, huh?" Ike looked away from the princess and to Medusa. The dark goddess didn't seem to be moving. She was frozen in place, as if time stopped on her. Ike approached Medusa and poked her with his paw.

"Is she…dead?" he asked.

"No…she isn't," spoke the same soft voice. The pink ball of light flew in front of Ike, beside Medusa. It shined brightly, illuminating the entire room. Ike squinted his eyes until the light died down. In front of him stood a young with long, silver hair, dark skin, and extremely light blue eyes. Her body was decorated with exotic body, silver and blue body jewelry. Her clothing consisted of a light blue hood and cloak. Her bottom attire consisted of light blue pants. She smiled kindly at Ike and the Twilight Princess. "I merely stopped time," spoke the woman, "forgive me…I have not introduced myself to you. I am Fate…Goddess of Time. I am the fourth goddess of Hyrule…the one that was banished."

"Banished?" Ike asked.

Fate knelt down next to Ike and placed a soft hand on his head. "You're a brave and noble warrior who sacrificed your own happiness…to save this world," Fate said softly, "and for that…I shall bless you. I will help you save the Princess of Destiny. At this moment, I have froze time on this world. It is only for a certain time, so you must take Midna, the Princess of Twilight with you to use the Fused Shadow to save Princess Zelda."

"What?" Midna, the Twilight Princess shouted, "I'm not helping him! He kidnapped me and turned me to Medusa! I'm NOT helping him!"

"Midna…" Fate stated softly, "Ike may have kidnapped you, but…he did retract that and saved you…he ended up risking the life of the very reason why he even tried to do such a deed. The Princess of Destiny needs your help at the moment. I have seen the future…and you will get into trouble. Her ancestor will risk her life in order to save yours." Fate took a hold of Midna's pendant and broke it, shattering it into dozens of pieces, releasing Midna from her power suppression, however, she was still in imp form.

Midna rolled her eyes as she sighed, "Fine…I'll do it. Take me to your princess, Ike. Just one question…why am I still little?"

"Thank you, Midna," Fate said. "You're still little for one reason…you're body is not strong enough to support itself in the Light World. You'll have to remain like that for a while. Now Ike…I wish I could help you break that curse on you…but I can't at the moment. I'm using all the power I can use in the Light World to stop time. I can, however create a path for you to walk in to get to her faster."

"How can I change back to my Beorc form?" Ike asked.

"In order to do that…the Fused Shadow will have to change you back. However…it can only perform one miracle per charge in the Light World. Since you're going to use it on the princess, you'll have to wait until it fully charges again. So, until then, Midna, you have to stay here with Ike. Your duty is to save Zelda and restore Ike's true form."

"What?! You said save a princess…not change him back!" Midna scowled.

"Midna…"

"Fine…I'll do it. Just because you're my goddess."

"Now…" Fate extended her arm out. A light blue path appeared before the goddess. "Take that path…it will lead you directly to the princess. You'll have to walk or run, just so you know."

"Thank you, Fate…" Ike said as he motioned to Midna to follow him. Midna shrunk the Fused Shadow pieces in her hand before she hoped on Ike's back. "I don't know what I can do without you…but I want to know…why were you banished?"

Fate smiled sadly at Ike before she petted him. "I'll tell you…" she said, "once you bring back Midna back. You're running out of time. The other goddesses will catch wind of this and they will not be pleased."

"Alright…I promised I'll bring Midna back here when I'm done," Ike said as he took off down the road.

"Good luck…Cerulean Cloud…"

Ike dashed madly on the white path. All doors opened as soon as he reached them. Midna held tightly onto Ike's back as she looked around at the world before her. She had never once stepped into the Light World since she was born. She'd never imagined the place would be so colorful. Ike exited the Spirit Temple, dashed through the desert. He ran through the fortress, passed the field. He arrived at the castle entrance within moments. Ike sprinted inside of the castle, running around the frozen guards, maids, and nurses. He followed the trail of curates, hoping that they would lead him to Princess Zelda's room. He panted heavily as he reached Zelda's room. Not once did Ike ever stop running until he reached her. He fell on his stomach, trying to breath. Midna got off from his back and floated in front of him.

"Geez…" Midna said, "I told you to stop so you can take a break."

"Sh…shut up!" Ike responded as he finally caught his breath. He placed both front paws on Zelda's bed and looked at her. Zelda looked exactly as how Medusa had shown him. Ike whined, his ears folding back. Midna shook her head.

"How pathetic…you whining over some girl that's close into dying," Midna spoke.

Ike growled at Midna.

"Fine, fine…I'll help." Midna sighed as she gathered the missing three pieces of the Fused Shadow. They rotated around her before they clamped together, fusing back into one piece. Midna shouted and grunted as the Fused Shadow over took her body. Her red haired grew out of control. A giant hand grabbed Zelda roughly. Transferring her power from the Fused Shadow, Midna was able to heal Zelda's wounds. They slowly closed off completely as if they were never there. Not even a scar was left. Midna slowly placed Zelda down on her bed before the Fused Shadow broke into pieces once more. Midna shrunk the other pieces and jumped on Ike's back, exhausted from her work.

"Okay…I did my good deed for the day," she said tiredly. "I'm…gonna go relax for a bit. I'm going to be hiding in your shadow for now. I'll still be around." With that, Midna shrunk and became Ike's shadow. Ike looked at amazement as he looked at his new shadow.

"Thank you…Midna," he said softly. A soft groan disrupted Ike. He looked up to see Zelda slowly sitting up on her bed. It seemed that time was starting to work again. "Zelda…" Ike said softly as his tail wagged happily.

"You! What are you doing here?!" Growled a voice.

Ike looked over to see a rather agitated Wolf.

"I don't know who you are…but you smell exactly like that idiot with the blue hair," Wolf snarled.

"Wolf!" Ike let out, "Listen…I'm Ike!"

"Ike?! Ike's a Beorc thing…all I see is a wolf who's about to have his ass handed to him."

"Easy, easy…listen…I'm not here to fight you or anything. I really am Ike. What happened to me is a long story…but listen…I was the one that saved the princess. I need to find Sonic or Lucario…they can translate what I say to them and…"

"Gah!!" screamed one of the maids, "What is that?! It's another wolf!"

"Another wolf?" Zelda asked. The princess looked down at wolf Ike. Ike whined at her, showing his pleading eyes. Zelda extended her hand out, reaching out to Ike. Ike leaned over, wanting to be touched by Zelda, however a sharp pain came from his neck. He was lifted off the ground by a strong grip.

"Don't worry, Zelda…I'll get rid of him for you," spoke a very familiar voice. Ike turned his head to see a very strange vision. Before him was himself. "Zelda…I am sorry…for what happened, but I was able to heal you. Take a look at your wound now."

Zelda placed a hand on her stomach. When she felt nothing but her soft skin she smiled. "I…I am healed…" she said softly, "Ike..?"

"Yes, my love?" responded the shadow of Ike. Meanwhile, wolf Ike struggled to break free.

"This can't be happening!" Wolf Ike let out. "You…you can't…Zelda, don't believe him! I don't know what or who this guy is…but he did not heal you!"

Even though wolf Ike was yelling and protesting, no one, besides Wolf could understand him. To the others, he seemed like a wild animal on the rampage. "Ike" sighed as he watched wolf Ike struggle. "I'll get rid of him, Zelda," he responded. "He won't be bothering you anymore. After this…we need to talk. I believe…I have much to do…in order to make up for what I did." "Ike" carried off wolf Ike from Zelda's room. All the meantime, wolf Ike tried his best. He kept yelling out to Zelda, extending his paws to her, hoping that she would grab him.

"Zelda! Don't believe him!" wolf Ike shouted. "Don't believe him! Zelda!! Zelda!!!"

**End of chapter! **

_Chapter Twenty-Two: A Tale of Two Ikes_

_"Oh…I need to check my schedule. I think I'll have lovely Lyn on Mondays, sexy Sheik on Tuesdays, humpity hump Malon on Wednesdays, mystical Impa on Thursdays, sweet innocent Mist on Fridays, voluptuous melon tits Samus on Saturdays, and finally my prized virgin, Zelda on Sundays."_


	22. Chapter 22: A Tale of Two Ikes

_Anyway, I would like to give thanks to all my reviewers, especially the ones that have been reviewing since chapter one. If you have, then I dedicate this chapter to you. Also the ones that have been reviewing since of recently, I'd like to thank you guys so much. I'd like to thank StardusDragon052 for being the 150th review for this fic. I also would like to thank Maximus-Reborn for being a total sweetheart with me and writing a great Link x Samus one shot called Loving Husband. Check that out if you're a Link x Samus fan. Thanks to all for the support. Remember to new readers or the silent ones to leave me a review just to advice me if I'm doing a good job at it or not. _

**A Hero's Creed**

**Chapter Twenty-Two: A Tale of Two Ikes**

Wolf Ike snarled wriggled around. He tried his best to bite down on "Ike's" hand, but the grip the imposter had on his neck was strong enough to render the wolf weak. The townspeople gasped in horror as they saw wolf Ike. "Calm down, people," the Ike imposter spoke, "I shall get rid of this beast so everyone can breath easily." Many people walked over to the shadow and thanked him for his bravery at handling a wild beast.

"Don't be fooled!" Wolf Ike barked, "this man is an imposter!!"

"Look at that beast!" a woman shouted out, "he'll eat my children at night!"

"Calm down, ma'am," the imposter Ike said, "I'll be sure to get rid of this beast."

"Ike" carried wolf Ike out of the town market and lead him towards the river's edge. He placed the wolf on the ground before he placed his hands on his hips and smiled deviously. "You've sure gotten yourself into a lot of trouble," spoke the imposter, "though I'd have to admit, you really are amazing for actually surviving the desert and the Twilight Realm. However, you're luck is about to run out, doggie because guess who's the new Iiiiiiiiiike?" The imposter giggled darkly at Ike's misfortune.

"What?! No!" wolf Ike barked, "don't think you're actually going to be me!"

"Oh ho! What's this? Being aggressive with me?" the Ike imposter said, "that's a big no-no. I'll tell you what. I'll let you in on MY master plan. Not Medusa's though. I think by now you probably should know what she has up her sleeve."

"Medusa? You…you are working for Medusa?! She…how?"

The imposter saw the confusion in wolf Ike's eyes. "I take it you probably don't know how I was created. It's easy…remember you signed that pact and used a hair to conceal it? Well…let's just say I was born out of that strand of hair. Medusa went all out on making me this age and everything. I actually look just like you. I heard that Dark Zelda and Dark Link looked slightly different from the actual things. I, on the other hand, am perfect. I guess you can call me an Adonis of all sorts." The imposter Ike flicked his hair in a cocky manner and smiled quite smugly.

Wolf Ike couldn't believe that the man before him was his clone. "You can't be a perfect replica," he barked, "you act NOTHING like me!"

"Now…I prefer not to be called Dark Ike," the imposter said, "I mean, that has been over used already with the line of doppelgangers that Medusa and Vaati have been doing. I want to be called…Shadow Ike or perhaps Yami Ike…oh Kage Ike sounds pretty badass too!"

Wolf Ike just growled softly as he had no comments to add in to what Shadow Ike was talking about. "This guy is my shadow?" wolf Ike asked, "he seems like the complete opposite of me."

"Anyway, I'm wasting time right now I have a schedule to keep!"

"Schedule?"

"Oh…I need to check my schedule," Shadow Ike pulled out a strange, black book from his tunic along with a pair of bifocals and a quill. As he spoke, he started to scribble on it, "I think I'll have lovely Lyn on Mondays, sexy Sheik on Tuesdays, humpity hump Malon on Wednesdays, mystical Impa on Thursdays, sweet innocent Mist on Fridays, voluptuous melon tits Samus on Saturdays, and finally my prized virgin, Zelda on Sundays. Oh…and guess what day it is? It's Sunday!"

Wolf Ike growled and snarled fiercely. He jumped on Shadow Ike, trying his best to maul him. Shadow Ike merely placed his boot in front of wolf Ike. "Calm down, puppy," Shadow Ike chided as he closed his book and placed it and the bifocals into his tunic. He kicked wolf Ike off of him, "you should know that at least Zelda will have a proper man do that to her. However, I can't let you run around anywhere so…"

Shadow Ike tightly grasped the back of Wolf Ike's neck. Wolf Ike struggled and wriggled around, trying to break free. Taking his free hand, Shadow Ike opened a black vortex. He roughly hoisted Wolf Ike through it. Wolf Ike flipped through the vortex. Once he flew out of the vortex, he noticed he was up in the air. He plummeted into a rapid river. The impact of splashing against the rough water was hard against Wolf Ike's body. He tried to dog paddle onto land, but each time he tried to climb up, his claws could now grasp the dirt ground properly. His claws dug once more into the muddy bank, but due to the river's strength, Ike was pulled. He had to get on shore. A river with this strength only meant one thing: a waterfall.

Ike howled loudly as he fell over to waterfall. He twisted and turned in the air before he plunged paws and face first into the water. His body barely missed the sharp rocks at the bottom of the fall. His body felt like it was being torn in two as he emerged from the water. He ignored his injuries and tried to paddle onto shore once more, however his claws barely missed grappling onto the ground. He drifted downriver where another waterfall stood. Even though it was a pointless battle, Ike continued fighting. He didn't want to die nor could he allow himself to do so if Zelda was in danger.

Each second that passed would lead Ike closer to the next waterfall. Unlike the first one, the second waterfall was a huge fall that would mean certain death. Ike's muscles felt sore, almost the brink of being unbearable. _Must…get to shore…_he thought. His body was mere inches from the edge of the fall. he felt his hind paws feel differently as he looked back to see the edge of the river. At that moment something caught his body just as it was falling over. A large orange and ebony hand held his body in place. Midna had detached herself from Ike's shadow and was holding onto the cliff.

"Hold on, Ike!" Midna grunted, "I'm going to lower you down to that small ledge over there. The rest of the way, you're going to have jump down." Ike nodded, indicating that he understood. Midna slowly brought Ike onto a small edge which was stick onto the side of the waterfall. Midna quickly hid under Ike's shadow once more, exhausted. "Damn…that took a lot out of me," she said, "seems like I'm still weak. Listen, continue down from here. We'll figure out where we are."

Ike nodded as he jumped from the edge and landed on another one. Eventually the edges led down to a crystal clear lake. The cool, calm water was a nice change from the rapids Ike was being abused from. The wolf slowly got into the water and dog paddled over to a small island in the middle of the lake. One, lone tree and a cement pedestal were all that remained on that island. Connecting to it would be a wooden bridge that lead to an even small island. The bridges did lead to what seemed to be the actual shoreline of the mainland. Ike sat down on the soft grass and panted heavily, nearly collapsing on the ground.

"Wow…you look beat," Midna said, "for sure I thought that water was going to tear you apart. Eh…I guess some guys are just that lucky. So…you have competition apparently for your girlfriend. Pity that he looks like a twin meaning she'll confuse him for you and someone will get lucky tonight."

Ike growls loudly. He got up on his feet and started to run down the bridges. His body couldn't handle anymore abuse. He felt tired and almost dead at the moment, however the thought of his doppelganger touching the princess only enraged him. Just as Ike passed a strange laboratory, his vision went blurry. His legs wobbled, his breathing became labored, his body went limp. He toppled over in a dead faint. A dark shadow loomed over Ike, dragging his limp body into the laboratory.

­­__________________________________________________________________

Shadow Ike walked into the garden. He had to avoid a good amount of the guards until "his name" was cleared up. Just as he was passing the courtyard, Shadow Ike found a lone Samus Aran. Samus had been worried about the princess. Around her waist was a utility belt. In one of the compartments was a vial of medicine she had kept with her in case of emergencies. She was stopped as a rough hand grabbed her arm. She looked over her shoulder to see Shadow Ike. "Ike!" Samus let out, "what are you doing here? What's going on?"

"Shh," Shadow Ike said in a soft yet seductive tone, "nothing's going on…except that Zelda…is fine."

"Fine? She's dying right now! I just heard the news about…"

"Then you didn't get the other news. She's healed now. Thanks to a miracle and the intensive care of the nurses, the princess is well."

"…alright…if you say so," Samus replied softly, "though I want to know the entire truth. Did you really try to kill her? If so, how could you? You're suppose to be protecting her! Aren't you…aren't you two like…"

Shadow Ike moved Samus closer to him. "Look at me in the eyes," he said softly, "I will tell you this…I would never hurt her. The princess is important to me…she means a lot to me. However…I can tell by your eyes that you're hurt."

Samus gasped softly as she looked away, slightly shamefully. "I have no idea what you're talking about," she responded, "and you better let go of my arm before I break your hand. I have no time with bastards like you."

"I feel your anger…but its not meant for me," Shadow Ike said, "you sound like you're upset with me…when in reality…you're upset at something else…or someone else."

Samus' green eyes opened widely as Shadow Ike hit his target square on. _How did he…? _she thought.

"I can tell by your silence that I'm right," Shadow Ike cooed, "but you know…you're secret is safe with me. I know that right now you're hurt…and you're lonely. I know that at this moment all you want to do is forget about what happened that made you upset in the first place. If you want to talk about it, you can talk about it with me, but if you don't want to, I understand."

Samus remained quiet. She didn't want to acknowledge Shadow Ike, but something deep down, wanted her to talk about it. The image of Link with Mist burned in her mind. Usually nothing ever fazes the bounty huntress, but she remembered that events that happen around people she cared about affected her the most. She slowly turned her head to look at Ike. Shadow Ike smiled at her with probably the most charming smile she had ever seen come from that man.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Shadow Ike asked, "I would like to be your shoulder to cry on."

Samus didn't respond with a vocal answer, but she did nod her head. Shadow Ike smiled as he grabbed both her hands.

"Tell me," he said, "what is bothering you…." _I got this one charmed already, _he thought.

"Well…what happened was…" Samus said softly.

______________________________________________________________________

Link moaned as he came to. He had been out for quite some time. He felt such sharp pains from his arm, hips, chest, legs, and abdomen. As he sat right up, he grunted due to the pain that coursed through his body. "I wonder…if Zelda's fine," he said to himself. Worried about the princess, Link tried to push himself off from the bed. He legs wobbled as he tried to overcome the numbness of them. Using his free arm, the Hylian Hero followed the stone wall of his room, making it to the door. Once he was out into the hallway, Link started towards the direction of Zelda's room. He stopped once he saw a faint blue figure from the window. "Samus…" he said, "and…she's talking to…" Link froze. His eyes widen slightly before they narrowed slightly. He changed his direction and he headed outside into the garden.

_______________________________________________________________________

"And that's…pretty much what happened," Samus said.

"Link…and Mist?" Shadow Ike asked, "My darling sister…and that man…had his arms around her? How dare he! Listen, I'm going to have a talk with both Link and Mist about this. I couldn't believe that he'd cheat on his own girlfriend…how dreadful."

Samus looked up at Ike. "I…we…you're mistaken," she replied, "Link and I…we were never…"

"You…weren't?" Shadow Ike cocked an eyebrow, "Really now? Then why all these emotions over him?"

Samus blushed, unable to say anything to him.

"That's fine," Shadow Ike chided, "what is done is done…but there is one thing that I can't let go. A woman as beautiful as you was devastated by this act. Link will never be man enough to make you happy." Shadow Ike's hold on Samus' hands slightly tightened.

"Ike…what are you…?"

The shadow brought both of Samus' gloved hands towards his face. He placed his tender lips on them, kissing lightly. Samus blushed furiously, unaware that a set of rather agitated blue eyes were watching them. Link entered the garden only to see Shadow Ike kissing Samus' hands. Jealousy, anger, and hurt mixed in together, creating a cauldron of sick emotions. Finding some unknown strength, Link walked as best as he could over to Ike and Samus.

"Ike…" Samus said softly, "I…" she stopped herself as she noticed Link coming towards them. "Link?"

"Samus…can I talk to you…alone?" Link spoke in a dark tone. His eyes were glaring at Shadow Ike with much hatred.

"She doesn't want to talk to you," the shadow said, "You've done enough damage to her already. So I suggest you get back to your room and leave us alone."

"Don't talk to me, you sick bastard!" Link growled, "You nearly killed the princess and you have the nerve to come here…behind her back…and try to sway Samus!"

"Sway her?" Shadow Ike said in a cocky tone, "I'm not trying to. I'm being a good friend by asking her about what's going on with her feelings. Apparently someone as thickheaded as you broke something called trust. Samus…you don't need to hear anymore from him. He doesn't deserve your time."

"Samus…listen to me," Link said, "there has been a major misunderstanding. I want to talk to you. Please hear me out. Ignore him…he's not to be trusted."

Samus looked away from Link. "Like me, right?" Samus asked. "I guess you can't trust anyone…can you, Link?" Not waiting for a reply, Samus walked away from both guys. She felt her heart burning with each step she took away from Link.

"Samus, please!" Link cried out, trying to catch up with her, however Shadow Ike's strong arms blocked his path. Shadow Ike cocked his head as he smiled mockingly at the poor misfortunate hero. Link glared at the shadow, trying to get past him. "Out of the way! Get out of my way! I need to talk to Samus!"

You're not going anywhere," Shadow Ike replied as he crossed his arms, "So before you go talking about that I'm doing dark deeds behind the princess' back, you should look at what you do. After all…if it weren't for you, this mess wouldn't have started. However…let me tell you a secret…" Dark Ike leaned over and whispered into his rival's ear. "I would so lay with that hot piece of ass you were too pussy to take."

Link's eyes widen as he heard what the shadow would do to Samus. He glared at Shadow Ike and tried to punch him with his right arm. Shadow Ike was taken back, however he retaliated with a hard punch to Link's face. Due to his injuries, Link was knocked down onto the grass. Dark Ike placed a rough boot to Link's arm. He applied a lot of pressure to his wound, causing the blond to cry out in pain. "Ahh, the sound of screams," Shadow Ike said, "they sound like lyre music to me. Listen to me…Link." Shadow Ike crouched down. "You've got nothing now. You lost your girl, you lost the trust of the people here, and you lost your usefulness. This land doesn't need a washed up hero with a broken arm. You best just leave now…because I'm taking over now and I hate competition."

"You're a pig…" Link let out, "you don't care about Zelda at all…or Hyrule."

"Oh ho…you're wrong about that. I do care about Zelda…she's my lovely leading lady. Just that…being stuck with one woman will get boring. I thought I'd mix and match them."

"Ike?" called out Zelda from inside of the castle.

"That…would be the sweet mating call of the beautiful princess," Shadow Ike chuckled with a goofy grin on his face, "I'll see you later, loser."

Link tried to sit right up to stop Ike, but his spirit and his body wouldn't allow him. Shadow Ike quickly ran inside of the castle and leaned against the wall. Zelda approached Shadow Ike cautiously. "Ike…there you are," Zelda said.

"You wanted to see me, princess?" Shadow Ike asked in a gentle voice.

"You said you wanted to talk to me."

"Yes, but we should do it privately. If…you allow me, can we go talk in your chambers? I want to talk to you uninterrupted."

Zelda shivered slightly. She looked away from Ike for a moment before she nodded. Shadow Ike smiled as he held Zelda's hand. Zelda turned away from him as she led him into her chambers. On the inside, Shadow Ike was laughing like a maniac. Once they were both inside, Shadow Ike closed the door behind them and locked it. His eyes examined Zelda's beautiful frame and would quickly switch over to her large bed. He strode over to the princess in a seductive manner. Zelda blushed as she backed away from Shadow Ike. "Ike…what are you…?" she asked.

Shadow Ike held Zelda close to his body. He caressed her hair gently as he whispered in her ear "Shh…I've missed you," he said, "It feels like an eternity since I've been without you. I wanted to tell you for a while that I couldn't help myself. It was an accident…you know I'd never harm you. I love you…more than my life."

"Ike…" Zelda whimpered as she held onto him, "I've missed you too. I know it was only a day, but to me, it felt like an eternity. I was afraid I'd never see you again. I was afraid…that you'd…"

"Quiet, my love…" Shadow Ike said as he leaned over and kissed her gently. Zelda stiffened at his kiss. Her eyes slowly closed as she fell into his kiss, enjoying every moment of it. Shadow Ike slowly brought the princess down onto her soft bed. Zelda jerked slightly as she noticed the gestures the doppelganger was doing.

"Ike…what are you…?" Zelda asked, only to be interrupted.

"I'm doing only what feels natural," was Shadow Ike's response, "I've been wanting to feel your touch…to have your heart beat with mine as we unite as lovers."

"Ike…but isn't this wrong? We're not even wedded yet…"

"Must one truly be wedded? Isn't it just a ceremony? Your traditions are different than mine…I don't think they'll be accepted on either side. Besides what really doesn't the consummation of two lovers confirm the marriage?" Shadow Ike climbed onto the bed and onto the princess.

Zelda shivered, looking frightened by the minute. However, she did feel a slight rush of ecstasy rise. Shadow Ike kissed Zelda's lips lightly. His hands trial down from her shoulders and down to her dress. His hand lifted the skirt up above her knees. Zelda blushed furiously, embarrassed and uncomfortable. "Ike, I don't think we should," she said, "what if…what if we get caught? This isn't blessed by our gods…it isn't right…it isn't…"

Shadow Ike nuzzled Zelda. "I think you're just trying to come up with excuses not to do this because you're afraid of what people will think if we do this," the shadow spoke, "no…you're afraid of the result will be between us. Let me tell you this…the result of our love making will only prove that our love is greater than anything."

Shadow Ike used his spare hand to hoist up Zelda's hands above her head. The hand that was lifting up the skirt was brought down to Shadow Ike's belt. Zelda blushed, not knowing whether she should go along with it or not. She did love Ike, but felt that this was wrong. However, she was trapped under the spell of his seduction. Her will was slowly giving in to the hot passionate kisses Shadow Ike would give her. Shadow Ike undid his belt.

A rough growl disrupted Shadow Ike from finishing to take off his pants. A rough entity pushed him off the bed. Rough, sharp teeth buried into his skin. Wolf snarled and growled as he mauled Shadow Ike savagely. Zelda quickly fixed herself before she tried to pry Wolf off of Ike. "Wolf, no!" Zelda shouted as she pulled on Wolf. "Leave Ike alone! He's a friend, Wolf!"

Wolf ignored Zelda's pleas. He continued to attack the shadow as savagely as he could. Once Zelda managed to pull Wolf slightly away, Shadow Ike slipped from the wolf and quickly raised up from the floor. "That beast…" Shadow Ike said, "ugh, Zelda get rid of it!"

"I don't understand," Zelda said, "he's usually calm nowadays….oh!" Wolf jerked out of Zelda's hold on him and charged towards Shadow Ike. Upon seeing the enraged Wolf, Shadow Ike quickly dashed to the door. He unlocked it and slipped out. He closed the door behind him. A loud thud could be heard from the other side as the door shook slightly. Shadow Ike opened the door slightly to see Wolf trying to get up after smacking against the door.

"Zelda I'm going to leave right now," Shadow Ike said, "I'll be back later tonight…hopefully so we can continue our talk. I suggest you do something about him. He's crazy and I'm heading off to Kakariko."

Shadow Ike closed the door before Wolf would continue snarling at him. Brushing himself off, Shadow Ike trotted out of the castle, out of Hyrule Town Market, and into Kakariko Village. The doppelganger examined the small town, hoping to find any hot women at all. Most were old sags who apparently found him attractive. He ignored them, looking around for Mist, instead his blue eyes examined the rather lean yet voluptuous figure of Titania.

Titania had taken off her armor after her short training session with Boyd that afternoon. Beads of sweat trail down her muscular neck. Shadow Ike purred in excitement as he made his way over to the red haired beauty. "Hello Titania," he said in a gruff voice.

"Huh? Ike!" Titania said, "where did you head off to? Everyone was worried…"

"I'm sorry I ran off like that," responded Shadow Ike, "but I had to think for a moment and try to set things straight. If you want to know, the princess is alive and well. She was healed."

"H-how?"

"It was a miracle healer…but enough talk about that…how is Father?"

Titania looked away in pain. "Not too good…" was her response, "your father hasn't gotten better since that attack. I…Rhys is getting tired and so is Mist. I don't know how long we can keep this up. Sheik has not left Pit's side since the incident. She refuses to eat until he smiles."

"Smiles?"

"Pit has been in a lot of pain. Even more so…as an angel, his wings represent that he ascended. Aren't wings usually suppose to mean something to an angel?"

Shadow Ike sighed. "Titania…I really didn't mean for all this to happen…I…this is all my fault…"

"Ike don't…"

"No…don't try to lessen the blow here," Shadow Ike said as he looked away. His eyes glowed as fake tears started to form, "it is my responsibility."

"Ike…don't push yourself," Titania responded. She slowly brought herself to hug Shadow Ike. Shadow Ike looked so hurt and depressed on the outside, however, on the inside, he was smiling victoriously. He brought his hands up and hugged Titania back. His hands touching her strong frame.

"Thank you, Titania…" Shadow Ike said sadly. _Oh, thank you indeed, _he thought, _I should add you in my list…because you got some nice curves on you._

"Ike?" came Mist's voice. She looked out from Impa's house, "I thought I heard…your voice."

Shadow Ike slightly cussed himself as he thought he lost the opportunity with Titania. Though, his mind was formulating that perhaps it wasn't a total loss. After all, Mist was frail compared to the red head beauty in his arms. He slowly released his hold on Titania. "Can you excuse us for a bit?"

"Of course…" Titania excused herself, leaving Shadow Ike and Mist alone. Shadow Ike approached his "sister" with ease.

Mist looked up at her "brother". She remained quiet for a moment before she hugged him tightly. The tears she had been holding back finally. "Ike…I'm scared," she whispered, "what if…what if Dad leaves us? I…we'd be alone…"

"No we won't, Mist…" Shadow Ike said, "you'll still have me. I promise I'll take good care of you. No matter what…"

"Brother….thank you…"

As Mist found comfort in Shadow Ike's arms, Shadow Ike's hands slowly started to move down from Mist's back to over to her butt. He smiled victoriously as he knew that he has won this. "Mist, I will never leave you. I made a promise to Dad that I will always watch over you," Shadow Ike said, "and for that, I will do my best to keep you safe…very safe…"

**End of chapter! **

_Chapter Twenty-Three: Promiscuous Ike_

_-"Looks like I have to end this little party before things get out of hand."_


	23. Chapter 23: Promiscuous Ike

_Oh wow…it has already been one year since I started this fic. I can't believe it is this old now yet people still read it. That makes me so happy. I'm so glad all of you readers enjoy this story a lot and I hope to continue to make you all happy with it too. So this chapter is dedicated to everyone and as an added bonus…just scroll all the way down after you read this chapter. Enjoy. :D _

**A Hero****'****s Creed**

**Chapter Twenty-****Three****: ****Promiscuous Ike**

Darkness…there was nothing more to this abyss. There was no light, no sound, and no warmth. Only the empty shell of what used to be reality was left. Ike closed his dark azure eyes as he let darkness take a hold of him. His body ached, his lips were dry, his throat stung. Just about everywhere he felt such pain. He looked down at his calloused hands. _I'm…Beorc again, _he thought. He noticed that his body was deprived of clothing. Taking another look at his body, Ike's mind began to race. _Am I…dead? _He thought, _is this Hell? Is this limbo? This can't be the Heavens…I feel pain._

"Ike…" spoke a soft voice.

_That voice…_thought Ike, _who is that? Where have I heard it before?_

"Ike…you're not dead," said the voice, "you're merely unconscious."

"Who…" Ike responded in a raspy voice, "who are you?"

A bright light appeared before the fallen mercenary. He closed his eyes slightly, waiting for the brightness to dim. Once he felt like the light had lessen, he slowly opened his eyes. Before Ike was a beautiful woman. Her long, emerald colored hair fell down to her knees and was held by a golden tiara. Her soft forest green eyes sparkled as bright as her golden armor which held her snowy white dress. Her left leg was displayed since there was a large slit in the dress. Ike tried not to stare at the woman's lower region since her undergarment was exposed slightly. On her pale legs was a pair of golden sandals which went over her knees. She was a vision of perfection, almost as if she were a goddess herself. The woman smiled at Ike warmly. "Ike…I am so glad we could talk right now," she said, "there is much I need to tell you."

"Who…are you? Where am I? How did I get here?" Ike asked.

"You're stuck in your subconscious at the moment," responded the woman, "you're not dead if that's what you were thinking. How you got here is because you blacked out. Right now I have entered your mind so I can talk to you."

"What did you need to tell me?"

"Ike…you know of your doppelganger, correct? He was created using your blood and hair after you formed that contract with Medusa. Medusa went back on her word. She wants nothing more than to have the objects of the gods in her possession. She has her eyes on the Fused Shadow…it is the essence of Fate. Lehran's Medallion is out of your grasp; however Medusa does not possess it…yet."

"Where did it go?"

"It is being taken…to Tellius," she responded.

"Tellius? What's it doing there?" Ike asked.

"There was another who wanted the medallion equally as bad as Medusa. His name is…Ashnard, king of Daein."

Upon hearing where Lehran's Medallion might end up, Ike froze. "I have to do something!" he shouted, "but how do I get out of here?!"

"Calm down, mortal…" spoke the green haired woman, "you are still stuck as a wolf. The reason why you appear Beorc right now is because you were born one and so you appear Beorc in your subconscious mind. You have yet to break the curse over you."

Ike frowned as he felt his hope diminishing, "how…do I break it? And how did I get it?"

The green haired maiden gasped slightly. Her soft smile turned into a frown as she looked away from Ike. She knew the next thing she was going to tell him might not be so good. "Your curse…" she spoke softly, "is a god curse. It was not done by witchcraft but by judgment passed down by a god. You see…an action of yours angered one of Hyrule's goddesses."

"I…angered a god?" Ike asked.

"Yes," nodded the deity, "because you touched Lehran's Medallion and went mad…because you struck the princess…because your actions could have caused destruction to this land…no, the world, you were passed judgment by the goddess who brings the law into this land. Her name is…Nayru, the Goddess of Wisdom. She watches over Princess Zelda, guarding her from danger by means of the Triforce of Wisdom."

"How…? I…I didn't mean to…"

"I know…but Nayru has been very displeased with the people of Hyrule lately. Her law keeps getting broken and bended…and that angers her intensely. She isn't too fond of outsiders either. However…all is not lost. There is a way to break the curse…I'm sure Fate has told you that already."

"The Fused Shadow…" Ike said.

"Yes. You have to rely on the Twilight Princess to restore your body. It will take a while for her to use it, but she will restore your body. As for now…you need to return to Hyrule and be by the princess' side. She's in danger as well as your father and angel friend. Please…watch over your angel friend…he is subjected to Medusa's experiments."

"Yeah…I…I promise I'll watch over…my friends."

"Ike…you have to wake up now," said the young woman, "I think a very important part of your body is being threatened."

"Wake up?" Ike asked, "But wait! Who…are you?"

The woman merely smiled at Ike. She moved her hand in front of her and waved at him. Ike extended his hand, hoping to get an answer out of the woman; however he felt his entire body being pulled away with tremendous force. The vision of the woman began to fade away until she was nothing more than a glowing ball of light which burned away into nothing.

Ike groaned slightly as he weakly opened his azure eyes. He was no longer in the dark abyss but rather in some strange place. He tried to keep his eyes open, but his eyelids were heavy on him. He opened his eyes once more, taking in the scenery he was in. It appeared that he was now in some sort of dark room. The light gray bricks on the walls had a light shade of blue due to reflections of the large pool of water by the end of the room. Papers were scattered around the stony floor along with empty flasks and test tubes. A musky yet fishy smell overpowered his sensitive nose.

Ike noticed that he was lying on what appeared to be some sort of table. His sensitive wolf nose caught the strange scent from the wood. It was a strange smell that he had trouble identifying. With his eyesight being black and white due to his transformation, he couldn't make out the stains on the table. He turned his head slightly. A rather shiny yet sharp object caught his eyes. It appeared to be some sort of medical knife that he had only seen around doctors. He hadn't seen much of them since Rhys' magic was enough to handle wounds, but when there were no Clerics or any other sort of healers around; doctors were the second best thing to find when injured.

Ike's ears perked up slightly as he heard a strange nasally breathing. Trying his best to tilt his head, Ike saw the figure of a ghastly looking old man. The old man's head was balding and what little white hair he had left stuck out like two horns. His face was rugged with dozens upon dozens of wrinkles. As he walked over to the table, he body shook slightly as if his legs couldn't handle moving him anymore. The old man extended a rather pale and bony hand. His icy cold fingers touched Ike's head and lifted it slightly. "Now," spoke the old man, "to check on this specimen…"

The old man moved Ike's head around, examining him. He moved his ears, opened his mouth, touched his fangs, and opened his eyelids. "There doesn't seem to be much deformation," he said, "seems this male wolf is healthy though tired." The old man trailed his hands down towards Ike's hind leg and lifted it up slightly. "Seems the specimen still has his genitalia intact and in good working form. How lucky of me to have found the missing ingredient to my potion. Pity this poor creature will have suffer for a bit. Given the state he's in, he won't last long anyway and I would like to have it fresh." The old man moved the scalpel over to Ike's nether region.

Just as the blade touched the fur that stood on end, Ike's eyes widen. He quickly regained his strength and flailed around. The old man was taken back as Ike jumped from the table and growled at the old man in a threatening tone. The old man looked around his laboratory. He found a vial next to him which contained chloroform. "N-nice doggie…" he said softly as he moved his hand over to the vial of chloroform. "I won't hurt you…just need a part of you to complete my potion…"

Ike kept his eyes locked on the old man. Just as the old man was about to pick up the vial, Ike barked at him. The old man recoiled his hand. Ike quickly leapt towards the door and tried to slam through it. His body hardly even did a dent on the wooden door. Ike growled as he slammed himself against the door once again. The old man took the opportunity to grab the chloroform and an old rag. He pour the liquid onto the rag and slowly walked over to Ike.

Ike slowly turned around to see a large shadow looming over him. The old man extended his arms and grabbed Ike from his stomach, trying to hold him down. Ike struggled to break free from the old man's hold. A strange scent entered his nose as he noticed the dirty rag in the old man's hand. _What is that smell? _He thought, _whatever it is, it can't be good._ The old man inched his hand closer to Ike's snout.

"Almost…got it," said the old man. Just as the rag was about to touch Ike's snout, a large orange hand grabbed onto his wrist sharply, making him drop the rag on the ground. Midna emerged from Ike's shadow and sat on his back. She glared at the old man.

"I think…you should leave us alone right now," Midna said, "right now I'm tired and I want to go home."

"What…what is this?" the old man asked, "what are you doing? Are you some sort of imp?" More fascinated than shocked, the old man was trying to ask Midna as much as he could. Midna rolled her eyes as she tossed him against the wall. Using her strength she broke the door, allowing Ike to run freely. Ike got the hint and ran out from the Lake Hylia laboratory and out towards Hyrule Field. Ike looked up at the sky, nothing that it was now nightfall. The full moon shun brightly along with the millions of stars.

"Zelda…" he said, "I have to see her…"

Midna sat on Ike's back, relaxing slightly as it was nightfall. "You know, I think you're lucky that I'm being generous with you," she said, "if it weren't for me, you wouldn't have Ike Jr. with you anymore and I guess everyone will have to call you Ikette."

Ike growled slightly. He tried his best not to get angry at the person who did save his life twice. Instead, he concentrated on a way back to Hyrule Castle Town Market. It would seem like an eternity as Ike ran through the endless field. He was used to traveling from the lake to the castle, however with his new wolf legs being the only means of transportation and an imp on his back; it was far more difficult for him to do so. Even though his legs hurt like knives stabbing through his paws, Ike wasn't about to let out. He was desperate to see the princess and hoping to find her safe and sound.

Just as Ike's paw treaded lightly on the grassy ground, a sharp hold on his leg commenced. Ike looked down to see a large bony hand from the ground emerged. Another bony hand popped from the ground. A lone Stalchild climbed out from the ground. It used its free bony hand to pull itself from its grave. Its low chuckle sent a chill up Ike's spine. Ike snarled and bit at the Stalchild's hand, pulling it from its socket. Ike ran slightly away from the Stalchild. The bony hand was still latched onto his leg. Ike shook his paw until the bony hand came off from his arm.

Another low, eerie chuckle caught Ike's ears. Ike looked around him to see dozens of Stalchildren rising up from the dirt. Each of their yellow eyes glowed with a bloodlust. Ike snorted as he turned in a circle, trying to keep each Stalchild in his sight. Midna looked along as well. "Ike…I think we're in trouble now…" she said. Ike let out a howl as all the Stalchildren chuckled evilly as they swung their bony claws at the wolf and imp.

Shadow Ike grunted as he fell down on the ground. He touched his cheek. The stinging sensation was more than enough to tell him that his cheek was red. He looked up at the shocked Mist before him. Mist shook slightly as she looked at her hand than at her "brother". "Oh!" she let out, "I…I'm sorry, brother. I…I didn't mean to…"

"No, that's okay, Mist…" Shadow Ike responded as he got up from the ground, "my hand slipped and it ended up somewhere inapproprietly."

Mist frowned, feeling violated but also bad about hitting her older "brother". "Are…are you okay, Ike?"

"I'm fine. Really…no need to worry," Shadow Ike said. _Damn, she's very uneasy about touches, _he thought, _no matter…I can fix that when comes her turn. As for now…I should go and check on my beautiful princess. _"I should be heading off now. Princess Zelda is awaiting me. I just wanted to come and see how you were all doing…"

"Oh…alright. Just that…"

Walking out of Impa's house is a rather tired and worried Sheik. The young woman had spent the last days tending to Pit's wounds. "It doesn't seem like they're getting better…" she said to herself, "maybe I should…go look for stronger medicine…" Her hair was slightly messier than usual. She looked down at her hands and noticed that they were still red from the blood. She tried to forget the squeals and cries of the tiny angel, but each time she remembered them her heart would hurt even more. Shadow Ike noticed Sheik as he slightly ignored what Mist was talking about.

"Brother?" Mist asked, "where you even listening to me?"

"Hmm? Oh…" Shadow Ike replied, "I was, though right now I think I need to talk to Sheik…she looks worried."

"Oh, of course! Um…will you be back to visit Father? It would be…good of you to do so."

"Sure I'll visit him, see ya," Shadow Ike said as he walked off, leaving Mist by herself. Mist pondered for a moment.

"Brother is acting weird…" she said, "something is on his mind…and I would like to find out…" Just then a soft paw touched Mist's leg. She looked down to see Fox standing underneath her. "Oh hey, there you are," Mist said as she lifted Fox up in her arms. "I've been looking for you. Where did you go?"

"Mist…there is something I have to tell you," Fox said, "Ike smells different…very different indeed. Like he's not the same person." Even though Fox was speaking perfectly fine, his fox speech could not be understood by Greil's daughter. Mist frowned as she saw how anxious Fox looked.

"This would be easier if Lucario or Sonic were here to translate…" Mist said, "But I have no clue where Sonic ran off to and Lucario is usually off on his own. It would be nice if those two would stick around here more often…but it always seems like Lucario wants to be left alone and Sonic is always running off."

Meanwhile with Shadow Ike, he slowly approached the unsuspecting Sheik. He tapped her shoulder lightly, trying to get her attention. "Hey…you alright, Sheik?" Shadow Ike asked.

Sheik gasped lightly before she turned her head. "Ike?" she asked, "Oh…don't worry about me…I'm fine…though…you should be worried about yourself. When the kingdom of Hyrule finds out what you were the one who was responsible for Zelda's injuries…"

"Calm down," the shadow said as his hand rested on her shoulder, "I have already cured the princess. If you go now you'll see that she's fine. Though at the moment, she's not the top worry for you, is she?"

Sheik's soft ruby eyes widen slightly. "Don't be ridiculous!" she let out, "the princess is my TOP priority. Nothing else could be more important."

"If that's so…how come you're here tending to Pit's wounds?"

"You…you don't understand! Pit is here to protect Zelda so I'm healing him so he can protect Zelda and that would contribute to the fact that the princess is my one and only!" Sheik felt red in the face. Her entire blood started to boil over. She looked away from Shadow Ike, ashamed to agree with him. Shadow Ike wasn't going to have any of that. He moved over in front of Sheik. Placing both hands on her shoulders, he spoke to her in a somber tone.

"Hey…it's alright…" he said, "no need to hide your feelings any longer."

Sheik slowly looked over at Shadow Ike. Her eyes told him that she was confused and scared. Before she could look away again, Shadow Ike took hold of her chin and turned her head to face him. His dark azure eyes met with her crimson ones. "A…a woman such as myself…is not allowed to let such emotions get the best of her," Sheik said, "My life is bounded by the civic duty of protecting the princess. I…am not allowed to love…only to one day procreate in order to carry a protector for the princess' child."

"That is a sad tale…" the shadow said, "a beautiful woman such as yourself should be allowed to have someone love her."

"Beautiful? Pfft! There is nothing beautiful about me…why do you think I hide my face in this face mask?" Sheik said in a coy tone. She froze slightly as she felt her mask coming off. Shadow Ike undid her face mask, allowing him to take a good look at her. He smiled lightly as he placed a rough hand upon her face.

"Mmm…beautiful…" he said, "you must be joking over the fact that you're not beautiful. Surely a woman as beautiful as you…should be with a real man." Shadow Ike's eyes left Sheik's frail figure to look over her shoulder. Standing in the door way of Impa's house is an injured Pit. His wings were covered in bandages; however his white toga was dirty with the blood stains. His soft blue eyes sparkled with curiosity as he watched and heard what Sheik and Shadow Ike were talking about.

"Whoa! Wait!" Sheik let out, "Ike…what about Zelda? Weren't you two…?"

"My love does belong to the princess…" Shadow Ike said, "However my true heart…belongs to the one girl who actually understands me the most. That would be you. You…make me feel complete."

"…Ike?" Sheik was astonished by what she was hearing. Before she knew it, Shadow Ike leaned over and kissed her softly. He held her head softly, caressing her blond locks. He moved Sheik at an angle so that Pit could see them clearly kissing. Pit gasped lightly as he watched the two teens kiss. His blue eyes sparkled but not with happiness or curiosity, but rather with his sorrowful tears. He whimpered softly as he ran from the house and out of Kakariko Village. He tried not to cry, but it was hard for him not to when his tender heart was broken in two. Sheik suddenly pushed away from Shadow Ike. "Ike! What are you doing?" Sheik asked with a major blush on her face.

"Nothing…just trying to get my point across," Shadow Ike smirked as he looked in the direction where Pit ran off to. "I think I should go see Princess Zelda. You should tend to Pit's wounds. After all…he's nothing more than a child." _Heh…run little angel, _he thought, _I want you to be isolated so I can take you to Medusa. Without your wings, you're pretty much powerless._ Shadow Ike slowly walked out of Kakariko Village, making sure that he has Pit within his sights.

Just as Shadow Ike was about to leave, he noticed a strange figure at the entrance of the town. A young woman wearing a hood stood by the entrance, looking at the sign. Curiosity got the better of Shadow Ike as he proceeded towards the girl. "Hey there," he said as he leaned over to get a better look at the girl's face. He was astonished to see such a radiant beauty as the one before him. Radiant eyes that matched her emerald green hair brightly shined with the very little light the moon gave off. Her face was slightly pale, but in an attractive way. "Wow…you're probably the most beautiful woman I had ever seen," he said.

"Thank you…but I have much business to attend to," was the woman's reply.

"Listen…I have business as well…so I'll meet up with you here after I'm done my Radiant Beauty," the shadow smirked.

"Heh…take your time…" she replied. _Though it will be me who shall seek you out, _she thought. Shadow Ike quickly left the village, wanting to return as soon as possible. The woman kept her eyes locked on his figure, knowing that he was up to no good. "He's after Pit…" she said, "Looks like I have to end this little party before things get out of hand." The woman left the village as well, following Shadow Ike.

Sheik sighed as she shook her head. "I gotta go tend to Pit!" she said. She quickly ran back inside of the house only to notice that there was an angel missing. Frantically, Sheik started to search the entire village for him.

Pit dashed madly into the field. Though it was still night, Pit used the moon's light to guide him towards the town market. He stopped when he noticed that the drawbridge was up. Unable to fly over to the other side of the wall, Pit fell on his knees on the ground and started to cry. His tender little mind was filled with only thoughts of Sheik.

"Well, well…looks like I found a fallen angel," Shadow Ike said as he walked over to Pit, "I guess that makes you a demon, huh?"

Pit turned around to see the shadow. "Ike…" he whimpered, "Did…didn't you know that Pit likes Sheik?"

"Hmm? Oh yeah, I knew you have a thing for her, but a pathetic little brat like you shouldn't be with a full grown woman like her."

Upon hearing that, Pit quickly got up from the ground and pounded on Shadow Ike's chest. "Pit hates you!! Pit hates you!! Ike's so mean!! Why are you…?!" Pit was stopped in mid sentence as Shadow Ike backhanded Pit hard, knocking the poor angel over. Pit whimpered as he touched his cheek. He looked up at Ike with anger and fear.

"Who do you think you are you little shit?" Shadow Ike asked in a rough tone. He quickly kicked Pit hard. The metallic part of Shadow Ike's boot connected against Pit's frail face, causing the angel to nosebleed. "You know…I hate brats, especially the ones who think they can make a difference." Shadow Ike pulled Pit up by his hair. "You know…if you were a girl, this would be completely different…but you're a guy and I have no love for guys. Tell you what…I'll send you to Medusa right now to end your misery…but of course not without beating the crap out of you. I really can't tolerate brats who will one day be even hotter than me. Just by looking at you…I can tell. There can only be one hot guy in this land and that would be me. After you're gone I'll handle the stupid Elf." Shadow Ike punched Pit hard on his stomach. Pit groaned as he gasped for air. Shadow Ike chuckled darkly as he prepared for another punch. He stopped when he heard a loud howl. A dark shadow rushed quickly at Shadow Ike and sunk its fangs into his arm.

"And that's what I had to report," said Sonic as he kneeled on the marble floor. His reflection as well as the reflection of the white washed walls which were decorated with banners, stained glass windows, and paintings could be easily seen. The red carpet underneath the hedgehog's legs lead up to a small flight of stairs. Where they lead to was a platform that held two thrones. Sitting upon the two golden thrones was a woman with long sunshine colored hair. Her light blue eyes were complimented by the large sapphire broach that rested upon her elegant, rose pink gown. Upon her head is a golden grown. Her delicate hands were covered in a pair of snowy white gloves. Sitting next to her was a slightly stubby man. His strong, oak wood colored hair covered most of his noble brow as well as his azure colored eyes. His red and blue robe was slightly covered by the yellow cape he wore. Upon his head was a golden circlet.

"Very well, Mr. Hedgie," spoke the blond woman.

"Mr…Hedgie?" Sonic's eyes widen at the name.

"Oh, don't mind Queen Peach," said the brunette man, "She often gives nicknames to people or things she likes."

"Oh Mario," responded Peach, "but I think Mr. Hedgie fits him well, don't you?"

"Uh…I think that's up to him to decide."

"It's fine, really," Sonic responded, "though embarrassing. Well, I did my deed for Samus now. Anything else you want me to give her?"

"We wanted to ask her what she ultimately wanted," Peach said, "we came to an agreement that it was going to be money, but I asked her kindly if she would also like an estate here in the Mushroom Kingdom. After all…if it weren't for her, our kingdom would be in danger."

"Not that it's any of my business, but what happened that was so bad?" Sonic asked, "By the looks of it, it seems nothing happened at all here."

Mario and Peach looked at each other, each one questioning if they should tell Sonic about what happened. Mario cleared his throat. "I suppose we could tell you about what happened," he said, "the incident happened about two years ago. It was our wedding day and the entire kingdom was celebrating. Never has there been a bigger festival here in the Mushroom Kingdom. Queens and Kings from neighboring kingdoms arrived here to congratulate us. However, there was one king who's presence was not wanted. He was a beast king name Bowser Koopa. Bowser was a feared king who ruled over monsters of all shapes and sizes. He was my nemesis ever since I came here to this kingdom. His only passion was to take over the Mushroom Kingdom in order to claim the world. He tried different approaches, most of them involved kidnapping the queen during her princess rule. After being foiled several times, Bowser became serious. The next plan he had was one that even I thought I couldn't be able to destroy.

"The Koopa King became powerful. He had the strength of a god and was invincible as one. A dark glow surrounded him as three pairs of wings sprouted from his back. Never did we ever see such power. I fought against him in that state and almost died trying. After I retreated, trying to think of how I could fix this mess, I met with Samus. She had crash landed on this land after a fight with a space pirate named Ridley. Unable to fix her ship, Samus agreed to help me save the kingdom. It was a most difficult battle, but we did become victorious. From Bowser's weak clutches, I found this…" Mario gently pulled out a light blue crystal in which he hid in a pocket of his robe. "We had no idea what this was…so we asked Miss Aran to help us investigate this matter further. After a while of searching, Samus arrived in Hyrule and worked under Ganondorf to find out more about this crystal."

"What did you find out?" Sonic asked.

"That…to make a crystal it requires much blood and life energy," Peach said. "Many have been killed in the process to make these crystals…but only a few were successful. This method is nothing new…it has been around for ages. It used to have another name…Soul Gems. Each gem contains the souls of the fallen in them. They can not rest in peace until the crystals are destroyed complete. In order to do that, one must be strong enough to break them. It takes a lot of spiritual strength in order to do that. Even so…the host…"

"The host…?" Sonic said.

Peach frowned for a moment as she played with her fingers. "If taken off improperly…the host will slowly die. Once placed on a host, the crystal becomes their life support if kept long enough. If the crystal was placed not too long ago, it is alright if the host takes it out of their body. The more they have it on, the more the crystal feeds off on their energy, making itself a battery. Once it becomes too attached to a host, it can not be taken off without the risk of death. When Bowser's crystal was taken from his body, we watched him slowly pass away until he was nothing more than bones. It was a horrific sight."

Sonic was shocked by the entire thing. He slowly looked down at his feet as he remembered he had two crystals on his feet which enable him to run at high speeds. "What happens…" he said, "if a host has two crystals in their body?"

"It speeds up the process of the crystals being attached to a host," Mario responded, "that host is as good as doll running on batteries. They'll have to protect both crystals if they are to remain alive and well. If one breaks…there will be dire consequences. The host might become paralyzed."

Sonic frowned as he heard that. "I…I guess I'll be going now," he said, "I'll tell Samus your proposition then." Sonic slowly started to walk out of the castle, which is rare for the blue hedgehog to do.

"Wait!" Peach said, "You…you have two, don't you?"

Sonic remained quiet as he tried to process everything that was told to him. Not looking at Peach, he turned his head and said, "Yeah…I do. I'll be fine…after all…there is only one of me now." With that, Sonic left the castle and the Mushroom Kingdom, heading back to Hyrule.

**End of chapter! **

_Chapter Twenty-__Four__: __The Kind Goddess_

_-__"You…you're Ike, aren't you?"_

_~Hey there, Mewlon here just letting you guys know that it has been one year since I started this fic and all. And as an added bonus, we get a bonus story. This idea is another story I was tempted to write. Maybe when I'm done with this one, I'll work on that one. So I hope you guys enjoy a small section of the pilot to this story. The title is a working title._

**Kiss Me as You Kill Me**

Zelda groaned softly as she came to. She had felt a sharp pain throbbing on her neck. Her body felt limp and cold. She opened her eyes and noticed that she was no longer at the dance club but rather in some bizarre room. She looked down at her body and noticed that white button up shirt was now torn and bloodied, exposing part of her light blue lace bra. Her black skirt was torn on her left leg area. Her tights were completely destroyed. Zelda gasped as she noticed her bloodstained legs. The crimson satin sheets of her bed were soft to the very touch and covered the large queen sized bed. Next to the bed was a door which was left slightly open. Though dark, Zelda could make out the slight traces of the clothing hanging in the walk-in closet.

Across the room appeared to be a cherry oak dressed with a large vanity mirror that was shattered into pieces. A large Persian rug laid in the middle of the wooden floor of the room. The moonlight's rays barely illuminated the small table that was next to her bed. A strange bottle and glass were the only things on the table. From what Zelda could see, it appeared to be wine. Zelda planted her pale feet on the floor and approached the wine bottle and glass. She picked up the glass and brought it to her face. Catching a whiff of it, she quickly dropped the glass. The crimson liquid spread out on the wooden floor. "That's…" she said, "that's blood…why is blood doing in a wine glass? Even more so…where am I? The last thing I remembered…I was with my friends at a night club. Then…all the events that happened from there are a blur…"

Zelda looked away from the blood and back on the bed. She cocked her head as she barely noticed something spread out on the bed she had awoken from. It was a black dress which had red lace and red ribbons holding it together. The bell of the dress appeared to be long and elegant, almost as if it were a Victorian dress. The sleeves were short, however the long, crimson gloves made up for that. Below the dress, on the ground was a pair of leather slippers. On top of the clothing was a letter addressed to her. Zelda picked up the letter and read it.

_Wear this dress. It will make up for your torn clothing. Meet me in the dining hall for dinner. Do not be late. _Was all that the letter had stated. Confused at what she should do, Zelda had to think for a moment on what to do. She was in a dark, unrecognizable room by herself with only a letter to keep her company. Her cellphone was gone, meaning she had no way to contact anyone from the outside or to have anyone find her. She had no idea where Link and the others were, making her worry even more. She looked at her clothing and knew she couldn't run off in what she was wearing. Curious as to see who was the one who brought her here, she obeyed the letter and dressed in the black Victorian dress. Once she had done so, Zelda fixed her blond hair and walked towards the door she thought would be the exit.

Carefully and nervously, Zelda placed a gloved hand on the door. She slowly turned the knob and walked out from the room. The blond was now in a obscure hallway which looked like something out from a horror movie. The paintings that were on the wall were scratched beyond recognition. There was only one window and that was at the end of the hallway. The light hardly illuminated the hallway.

"Come this way…" spoke a strong, male voice.

Zelda gasped as she looked around for the source of the voice. However, she noticed that she was alone.

"Come downstairs…" came the eerie voice again.

Zelda looked down the hallway and noticed a faint light coming from below the stairs. She carefully walked down the stairs, hoping not to trip and fall. She arrived at the foyer. Due to the poor lighting, Zelda couldn't make out much of the foyer, however beyond the foyer, is where the light source was coming from. She quickly scurried across the foyer and into the next room. In front of her was a large, elegant wooden table. Set upon the middle of the table was the light source: candles. The room was a dining room which was placed next to a large window which showed a forested scene, something Zelda did not recognize at all.

"There you are," said the same voice, "You finally showed up…good timing too. I was getting rather frustrated."

Zelda gasped slightly as she saw the lone figure at the end of the table. Sitting on one of the cushioned wooden chairs, was the young man she met at the club. The same, pale complexion was hidden behind his spiky azure hair. This time, Ike looked different. He didn't look like the same person that smiled at her a while back, but rather a predator wanting to eat his prey. From his expression, he looked rather bored and agitated at the same time.

"Ike…" Zelda said, "Um…what's going on? Where are we? Where are my friends?"

Ike stood silent for a moment. His eyes seemed to be locked on Zelda, as if he were analyzing her. "Sit down…" he said, "your dinner will spoil. My servant worked hard to make you your dinner."

"Dinner?" Zelda looked over at the table once more and noticed a golden bowl at her end. The bowl contained what she thought would be tomato soup. "Oh…I'm not hungry. I just want to know what's going on. I need to get back to my dorm soon…I have to study all day tomorrow for my midterms."

"Eat…" was all Ike said, "If you don't eat, you'll get weak."

"Are you mad? It's two in the morning, last time I checked. I should be asleep…but for some reason I feel so awake."

"Just eat. Then we can talk."

Zelda scoffed slightly, however it appeared that Ike had the upper hand against her. She slowly sat down at the opposite end of the blue haired man. She looked at her dinner and sighed. Picking up the golden spoon, Zelda dipped it into the soup and took a sip out of it. She quickly spat it right out and got out of her seat. "What is that?!" she asked, "It tastes like blood!"

"Must you make a big deal out of it?" Ike asked, "It's your dinner. Just eat it."

"Are you crazy?! Do you know how many diseases I could get from eating this! This…this is disgusting! This is insane! You…you're sick! How could you make me eat blood?!"

Ike gave Zelda a stern look. "Have you forgotten already?" He asked as he got up from his seat. "Did you forget what we did a while ago?" Ike slowly walked towards Zelda. He stridden over, as if he were gliding.

"What…what did we do a while ago?" Zelda asked.

Ike firmly grasped Zelda's chin. He tilted her head slightly, examining the punctured holes on her neck. "You agreed to eternal life…and become my bride," he said softly. "That wound is proof of our marriage."

Zelda's eyes widen as she pushed Ike off from her. She couldn't believe what was going on. "You…you're joking right?" she asked, "I agreed…? Bride…? Eternal life? What do you mean by 'eternal life'?"

Ike didn't look amused at all. "Did you forget that as well?" he asked, "how could you, Elincia? After the many years we spent together you forgot all about me…about what happened to me…about what happened to us."

"Elincia?" Zelda asked, "You got it all wrong. My name is Zelda…we met at the club."

"I know your name…but you are Elincia. You look slightly different, but I know it's you again. You are born once more and after they took you away from me…after you wanted to be with me after my transformation…but in the end you left me for Geoffrey!"

Zelda was starting to get terrified as she saw a now angered Ike before her. "You…you're crazy!" Zelda shouted as she backed away from Ike.

"Crazy?" Ike asked, "I am not crazy…you're the one who's crazy! A vampire who doesn't want to consume blood will only die!"

"Stop talking about stupid stuff!" Zelda shouted back. She quickly turned and ran away from Ike. _ I have to get out of here! _She thought, _I…I knew I shouldn't have gone clubbing today! _Zelda ran passed the foyer and towards the entrance to the large estate. Once she reached the front door, Zelda quickly tried to open it, however a rough hand grasped her wrist tightly. Zelda struggled to get out of Ike's grasp, but the blue haired man was too much for her.

"Do you wish to leave me again, Elincia?" he asked.

"My name is Zelda!" Zelda said, "And why wouldn't I want to leave?! You…you monster!"

Ike looked slightly hurt by the comment. His eyes softened before they narrowed. "A monster am I?" he responded, "You really want to see a monster? This is the result of what you did to me in your past life!" Ike snarled viciously as his fangs were exposed. His calm blue eyes turned into a crimson hue. "I suppose our marriage means NOTHING to you, does it?! Servant!"

Ike's voice echoed through the manor. In a matter of moments, Samus, one of the girls Zelda met at the club that night, appeared before Ike. "You called for me, Master?" Samus asked.

"Take her to her room…if she chooses not to eat with me or finds my company horrendous, she will not eat or leave that room at all!" Ike snapped.

"Of course…Master," Samus took a hold of Zelda and dragged her up the stairs. Zelda protested as much as she could, wanting to get away from this horrific nightmare that came true. Once she had been locked up in her room, Ike sighed heavily. His fangs retracted back as his eyes turned back into a soft blue hue. He placed a hand on his forehead.

"She'll never see me…as nothing more than a monster…" he said softly.


	24. Chapter 24: The Kind Goddess

_Oh wow…it has already been one year since I started this fic. I can't believe it is this old now yet people still read it. That makes me so happy. I'm so glad all of you readers enjoy this story a lot and I hope to continue to make you all happy with it too. So this chapter is dedicated to everyone and as an added bonus…just scroll all the way down after you read this chapter. Enjoy. :D _

**A Hero****'****s Creed**

**Chapter Twenty-****Four****: ****The Kind Goddess**

Shadow Ike grunted as swung his arm, releasing whatever it was that was biting him. He looked down at his now bleeding left arm. His eyes narrowed as he spotted someone he wasn't happy to see you. "You!" he growled, "you're still alive?! Miserable beast…!" Standing in front of Shadow Ike were Wolf Ike and Midna. Ike's paws were bleeding, his blue fur was mangled, the red cape Ike still had worn was torn, and his brow was bleeding. Ike snarled, baring his teeth at his doppelganger. "Next time I'll throw you into Death Moutain's volcano!" Shadow Ike shouted.

Wolf Ike howled before he lunged himself at Shadow Ike. His teeth baring into the shadow's raw skin. Shadow Ike shouted as he used his free arm to continuously beat Wolf Ike. Each blow felt like a stone hit Wolf Ike's back. The more Wolf Ike sank his fangs, the stronger Shadow Ike would beat him. Wolf Ike gave a low growl. His tongue tasted the salty blood that sieved from the shadow's wounds. With one last swing, Shadow Ike pounded hard up against Wolf Ike's back. The impact of the latest blow was enough to make the blue beast release his victim. Wolf Ike whimpered as he felt his entire body ache. Midna slipped from his shadow and carefully sat on his shoulders. "Had enough?" she asked Shadow Ike. "If you haven't, I'll be more than willing to finish you off."

Midna shook her head slightly. Her long, red ponytail extended and took the form of a giant hand. "Come on, if you're man enough," she said, "I'll be sure to end your miserable life right here." Shadow Ike examined Midna before he chuckled. Midna just scowled at him. "What's so funny, jackass?"

"It's very laughable that you actually think you can kill me," Shadow Ike laughed, "you…a little midget with long hair. Why don't you go find a big brush and shove it up your ass while you're at it after you handled your hair?"

Shadow Ike laughed widely as he mocked Midna. The Twilight Princess didn't take it too lightly on being ridiculed. Growling, Midna extended her hair. Her hair shifted from a hand figure to a spike. The hair thrusted right through Shadow Ike's body, like a drill. Shadow Ike groaned as he was now impaled. His body limped slightly. Midna smirked as she pulled her hair out of Shadow Ike's body. "I guess that's the end of him," she said, "he was nothing more than a pushover." Wolf Ike just looked over at the fallen body on the ground.

_You know…for being a pain in the ass…I almost feel pity for him, _Wolf Ike thought. _At least this is one problem solved. Next one will have to be how to get myself back to normal. After that, trying to clear up my name will be a bigger problem. _Pit whimpered as he looked away in horror. Wolf Ike slowly walked over to the angel. _I need to resolve this problem first, _Wolf Ike thought.

Pit saw Wolf Ike approaching him and quickly moved away from him. "No! Get away!" he shouted, "You…you killed my friend, you beast!"

Upon hearing that, Wolf Ike's ears folded back. He tucked in his tail and whimpered, trying his best to show some sort of tenderness or weakness. "Come on…" the blue beast said, "I'm not evil. I'm Ike…" No matter how much Wolf Ike whimpered, Pit didn't seem to show any signs of trusting him. Fear and sorrow were the only feelings that Wolf Ike was getting out of the tiny angel.

Midna rolled her eyes as she sighed. "Listen, angel kid," Midna said, "this flea bag here is your Ike."

"What?" Pit asked.

"Your IKE," Midna said again, "this wolf is your actual Ike. He was transformed into this. That guy over there…the one dead on the ground is…"

"Alive…" spoke a deep voice.

"…alive and…huh?" Midna, Wolf Ike, and Pit searched for the source of the voice. A deeply chuckling emerged from the fallen body of Shadow Ike. The shadow shook slightly as he raised his head.

"Hehehe," chuckled Shadow Ike, "you know…if you're going to kill someone, make sure they're dead." Shadow Ike laughed as he slowly got up from the ground. A rather large hole was left in the exact spot where Midna had pierced through him. The gaping wound closed. "You should know something about me," he said, "I regenerate. I was made in order to live through most attacks. So…you're pretty much powerless against me, Midget!" Shadow Ike touched his tunic and noticed his torn cloth. "Sadly…can't say much about clothing. Doesn't matter…I wouldn't be wearing much with the activities I'll be doing."

Midna glared at Shadow Ike. She was none too pleased. In a blinding fury she pierced through Shadow Ike in different places, trying to puncture his entire body. Once she was done, Shadow Ike fell over. Midna was growing tired from using the Fused Shadow. It was too much of a strain. This very day was too much for the Twili princess, however she had to continue trying. Shadow Ike chuckled once more as he lifted himself up from the ground. His body regenerated, leaving no marks of Midna's attacks. "I told you," Shadow Ike said, "I'm pretty much a god right now…though losing blood isn't fun."

"No…that's impossible," Wolf Ike said, "he…he can't be…how are we suppose to defeat THAT?"

Zelda looked in the mirror. She did her best to fix herself, trying to make herself look beautiful for Ike. "I wonder…if I should be doing this…" she asked, "after all…I don't think it's proper…" Zelda touched her lips. Ike had kissed her multiple of times before, but never like that. It was more vibrant, wild, and more passionate. This felt like a completely different person kissed her. Ike's kisses would normally feel like a calming river. This time, his kisses felt like fire. Zelda shook her head slightly as she now felt hot and bothered.

Wolf did not like Zelda's approach to the situation. He knew that the princess would never dash into something she didn't want to do…but did she really want to make that type of step. He didn't want to allow her to do something she would regret, especially if it was to a monster like Shadow Ike. Wolf bit into the bell of her dress and tugged on it, trying to get her attention. Zelda knelt down beside Wolf and placed her hands on him.

"Is something the matter, Wolf?" Zelda asked.

"Yes…I seriously don't want you to go out and meet that perverted dumbass," Wolf responded in growls.

"You don't seem too fond of Ike…" Zelda responded, "I know you never liked him…but you attacked him. Why did you do that, boy?"

"It's a pity that you're blinded by love…because that man isn't the one you're thinking of."

"I…I don't know what I should do…but…I have a feeling that I should go to see him." Zelda slowly got up from the floor. Placing her hands together, Zelda concentrated a large amount of energy. Her entire body lit up as her body transformed into her male alter ego. "If there is trouble, I'll run back here," Zelda-Sheik said, "be good while I'm gone." Before Wolf could protest more, Zelda-Sheik walked out of his room and closed the door behind him. Wolf scratched and howled at the door, but all his attempts ended in failure.

Samus had been lost in thought the entire day. She was tempted to see if Ike really was who he said he was or not. Against her better judgment, she decided to go meet him that evening. Quietly, Samus slipped into the shadows, trying to get out of the castle undetected. The bounty huntress was not aware that a certain hurt Link was watching her. He had to carefully follow her, making sure not to get caught himself by either Samus or the guards.

After escaping from the castle and walking the nearly empty streets of Hyrule Castle Town Market, Samus glared at the drawn bridge. It was an obstacle, but not a major one. She slowly stretched, cracking part of her back. In one swift motion, Samus jumped up against the wall, jumped on the drawn bridge, using the momentum from the jump, use it to jump back on the wall, then over the bridge. She carefully and gracefully landed on the other side into the water. Samus was shocked by the water, but was alright.

Link arrived at the drawn bridge and sighed. Samus made wall climbing seem easy, however without enhanced alien abilities, good health, or the use of his good arm, Link was at a rather inconvenient disadvantage. Link searched through his equipment. He pulled out his hookshoot and aimed at the drawn bridge. He pulled himself up on the wall and carefully used the hookshot to bring himself down on the ground. Link's calm demeanor changed as he saw Ike in front of him.

Shadow Ike cocked his head in a mocking way. "Well…I suppose if you two are done now, I suppose it's MY turn to finish this off," he spoke as he extended his hand. Dark aura emerged and twisted itself around the shadow's arm. It gathered around his fingertips creating a large ball of aura. The aura shifted in size, stretching out into a certain length. The aura cleared to reveal a long sword. The dark blade pulsated with a purple energy illumination. "This won't hurt a bit…" Shadow Ike chided.

"Ike…?" Samus asked as she approached the fake Ike, "What are you doing?" Her emerald eyes shifted towards the frail body of Pit. "What's Pit doing here? He shouldn't be out here."

"Samus!" Pit squeaked, "Get away from him…he's…"

"Madly in love with you," Shadow Ike took a hold of Samus' hand with his free hand and smiled at her. "Pit here has been hallucinating too much," said the shadow, "all those medications made him believe that the wolf in front of us can talk. You see that thing on its back. It's a demon of some sort. They were attacking Pit and I arrived at the scene to save him. Sadly…Pit is confused. He ran away from Kakariko Village…now poor Sheik is worried over him."

"He's full of bullshit!" Midna shouted, "You can't believe what he's saying! If you were half as smart as you're suppose to be, you'd help us out!"

"Samus!" Pit yelled out, "The wolf in front of you is Ike! That one next to you is a fake. He's made out of blood and mud!"

"Seriously…babe," Shadow Ike said, "Pit is hallucinating because of the medicines. Do I…" Shadow Ike grabbed Samus' hand and placed it on his cheek, "feel like blood and mud to you?" He smiled at her with his most dashing and charming smile. Samus blushed furiously as she felt such soft skin. Link wasn't too happy about what happened. In a blinding fury, he stalked over to the fake Ike.

Tapping his shoulder he caught his attention. "Hey…Ike," Link said.

"Hmm?" Shadow Ike turned around only to meet against a fist.

Link punched Shadow Ike with his good hand furiously. He tackled him down on the ground and continued to beat him. "You bastard!" Link shouted, "First you take away the princess and now you want to take away Samus! I knew you were nothing more than a scoundrel!" Shadow Ike was beginning to get furious. He pushed the Hylian hero off from him. Grasping his dark blade, he pierced the sword right through Link's stomach. Link gasped for air as his hand tried to pull the blade out of his body. His fingers could feel the cold, dark liquid flowing from his body. His blood stained the grass below. His breathing shorten as his vision started to get blurry. Shadow Ike laughed as he kicked Link off from his sword.

"Weak and stupid…" said Shadow Ike, "this death is perfect for you."

Link fell back into the grass, unable to move. Samus knelt down beside Link and lifted him into her arms. "Link…" she said, "Link…hold on! I'll…I'll heal you…" She placed her hand on his stomach, trying to stop the bleeding. Link groaned slightly as he turned his head to look at Samus one last time before he closed his sky blue eyes. Samus gasped lightly as she shook her head. "No…you…you can't be…" Samus said. Her vision became blurry as tears start to trail down her cheeks. "Link…you shouldn't have…you can't be…gone. You…you were the only friend I ever had. I…I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to hear you out. I was just…jealous…" _Jealous because Mist…Mist's more of a woman than I'd ever be, _she thought, _she knows how to take care of another person and show her feelings. I could never do that. I could never tell you how much I appreciate you being there for me even though I tried to push you away you kept coming back to me. Now you're gone…you left me for good._

"How touching…" Shadow Ike said, "Love at its finest. Come on, babe you should stop crying over him. He was weak and loser. The losers of society always die. Now…how about you come over here and give the winner a big kiss?"

"You…you really are a monster…" Samus growled at the shadow.

"Monster? No. Shadow? Yes," responded the scoundrel, "Your lover? Yes. Your god? Most definitely…"

Wolf Ike whimpered slightly as he saw the lifeless body of Link in Samus' arms. "No…" he said softly, "he…he killed him…"

Wolf Ike snarled furiously at Shadow Ike. His patience was wearing thin. The shadow merely chuckled at the sight of the angered wolf. "Really now?" The shadow mocked, "You're angry with me now? Hehe…I'm practically unstoppable and you're nothing more than a flea bag. What are you going to do about it? After all…I'm really starting to get bored now. I might as well end this now." Shadow Ike hissed as he concentrated on his power. A lone dagger flew past his nose. Shifting his eyes, he saw the delicate body of Sheik standing next to him. "Sheik…what a nice surprise to see you, darling," the shadow cooed, "what brings you out here?"

Sheik walked over to Shadow Ike in a calm manner. Once within arm's length, Sheik slapped Shadow Ike hard across the face. "You miserable man!" Sheik said as his body shifted back to its true form, "I can't believe you, Ike…"

"Zelda?" Shadow Ike let out, "Baby…w-wait a moment, sweetheart. This is NOT what you think. I can explain…Link attacked me first and that beast over there…"

"Enough! Who…are you? You're not…Ike…at least not the one I love…"

Shadow Ike took hold of the princess into his arms. His hold on her was tight. "My dear…" he spoke in a husky voice, "I am the man of your dreams. I am the one who will love and worship every waking moment. And if you don't…I'll kill your actual lover." Shadow Ike shifted his eyes, directing Zelda's view over to the blue wolf on the grass.

Zelda looked at the wolf for a moment as it whimpered. "I…Ike?"

Wolf Ike's tail slightly wagged. He slowly trotted over to Zelda, wanting to get close to her. A sharp object nearly pierced his nose. Looking up, Wolf Ike noticed Shadow Ike smirking at him with his sword pointed at him. "Not another step," he spoke, "you can look but not touch." The clone turned his attention to Zelda. "Now you know," he continued, "that that wolf over there is your sweet Ike. As for you…you should be concerned about what will happen to you next."

"What…what are you going to do with me?" Zelda asked.

Shadow Ike chucked darkly. "You're so adorable when you act naïve," he responded, "I'll make you mine. Once I do that I'll go and make the others mine! Ugh!" A dagger pierced right through Shadow Ike's arm. Tending to his wound, the shadow released the princess. Zelda took the opportunity to move away from him. Standing in front of the princess was Sheik. In her hands, she had several daggers ready to throw.

"Listen here…" Sheik said, "I really don't care who you are but once you start to be a scoundrel around the princess you better prepare to mess with me."

"So...it's all of you against me then...very well...I really would HATE to kill you beautiful women off...but now I have no choice." Shadow Ike hissed as he gathered aura around him. A set of dark blue wings emerged from his back. His entire body radiated of dark aura. His sword radiated even more energy as he concentrated. He looked over at Wolf Ike and smiled wickedly at him. "You're first." Shadow Ike hovered over to the confused wolf. Pulling back the sword he gathered momentum in which to swing the inferno blade at Ike. The shadow was hoping to kill off the real Ike with one quick swing of his sword. Just as the blade was about to come down on Wolf Ike, a strange force field blocked the assault. Both Shadow and Wolf Ike were surprised.

"So...this is where you both ran off to," said a soft voice, "I was wondering about that." The same cloaked woman from Kakariko Village emerged from the darkness. Her skin was slightly illuminated, even though she was covered in a cloak. "Oh my...such chaos has happened...I can't allow this to go on any further..." she said softly.

"Is there something you want, my radiant beauty?" Shadow Ike asked.

"Why yes...there is something I want," responded the woman. She extended her hand, radiating a bright light at her finger tips. The bright light grew into a large golden sphere which quickly shifted into a long spear. Upon its ends were large ax blades. One had a sun engraved on the blade while the other had a moon. The woman pointed at Shadow Ike with her spear in a calm manner. A strong breeze blew through Hyrule Field. Each blade of grass danced in the wind. The brown hood of the woman slipped off from her head, revealing her true form. Wolf Ike cocked his head slightly.

"That's the woman that spoke to me," he said, "the same green eyes and hair..."

"Palutena, my goddess!" Pit let out.

"Hang on, Pit..." Palutena spoke, "I have to fix this mess. For your heinous crimes I shall pass MY judgment on you. Death is too good of a punishment...instead I shall pass my holy curse on you." Palutena swung her spear in a violent manner. She quickly lifted up the blade over her head then sliced through Shadow Ike. The moon blade cut through Shadow Ike, splitting him into two. However his two halves of his body morphed into two small balls. The spheres began to take form. Two loud cries emitted from the newly developed babies on the ground. One baby was a tiny girl. Her blue eyes were shut closed as she continued to cry loudly. Upon her head was a small bob of light blue hair. Next to the tiny girl was a baby boy. Though he did not cry as loud as his "sister", the baby boy whimpered. Very little blue hair had emerged from his head.

Zelda gasped as she approached the two babies on the ground. "What...what did you do?" she asked.

Paluntena's spear dispersed from her hand. "I broke him in two," she said, "Every life form has both a feminine and masculine side. I merely broke him down into his two forms. You could say that he is alive but dead at the same time. These two children will grow up to be their own personas. They will have no recollection of their past life. Do not treat them as criminals, but instead...as two children."

As the fighting had died down, Samus looked down at the lifeless Link. Her eyes were bloodshot from crying. She traced Link's face with her thumb. The warmth of his body was slowly fading. "Link..." she said softly, "I...I'm sorry. I didn't mean for this...if I could go back time, I would listen to you. I would listen to reason." Samus leaned over. Her forehead gently touched his forehead. The tip of her soft nose touched his nose. Closing her eyes, Samus brushed her lips gently onto Link's lips, landing a soft kiss on him. A bright pink light encircled both Samus and Link. A lone fairy which was trapped in one of Link's bottles had finally broken free from captivity. With its last breath, the pink fairy used its life energy to resurrect and heal Link. Link moaned softly as he opened his eyes. He felt such warmth upon his lips. His baby blue eyes diluted slightly as he saw Samus actually kissing him.

Link shifted slightly under Samus' arm, alarming the bounty huntress. Samus pulled away from Link, blushing furiously and embarrassed. "Link?" she asked softly. Link slowly sat right up. He turned his head and smiled at Samus softly.

"Yeah?" he asked.

Samus whimpered softly before she pushed Link in the arm. "You are sick!" she shouted, "You made me worry for you! You're such a..."

Link held Samus softly. His hand slowly caressed her blond locks. "I'm here..." he said, "I won't leave you...not before my time." Samus sighed as she slowly hugged Link back. She felt so secure and safe in his arms at the moment since she felt so frail and weak.

"Link...I'm sorry..." she said.

"No...I should be sorry. I should have told you what was going on with me...that was a sign that I didn't fully trust you when in reality...I do. I care about you, Samus...and that's what I wanted you to understand."

"I...I understand...I just thought that you liked Mist."

"Mist...is a nice girl..." Link said, "but she's not the one who I have fallen for."

"Who then?"

Link chuckled softly as he leaned on Samus. His lips softly kissed her. He closed his eyes, enjoying her touch. He waited for a long time to get this close to her. At first, Samus didn't react to the kiss, however she slowly leaned in and kissed Link back. Link pulled away, breaking the kiss. "Did that answer your question?" Link asked.

"Maybe..." Samus replied.

Link smirked. "Then I suppose...I should continue doing this until I convince you."

Zelda knelt down on the grass near the babies. Her attention switched over from their crying to the wolf approaching her. Ike looked up at her. His ears were folded back as his tail was tucked him. Zelda moved her right hand towards her chest. "You...you're Ike, aren't you?" she asked as she slowly moved her hand towards Ike. She softly caressed him, earning her a soft purr from the wolf. "It is you..." Zelda quickly hugged Ike, sobbing softly. "Ike...I...I promise I'll take good care of you..."

"Zelda...don't cry...please," Ike responded.

Sheik slightly smiled at Zelda's reunion with Ike. However her attention turned to Pit. The tiny angel was shivering and still in a lot of pain. Sheik approached him. "Pit, you shouldn't be out here," Sheik said, "come on...I'll carry you back to Auntie Impa's house."

"No..." Pit whimpered.

"Huh?"

"Pit saw you..." Pit cried, "Pit saw Sheik kiss Ike! I...I thought Sheik liked Pit...but...Pit was only fooling himself..." Pit began to cry.

Sheik was stunned by what Pit had said. _He saw me...and Ike kiss, _she thought. "No, it isn't like that," Sheik said, "I don't like him. _He_ kissed _me_. I didn't want to because...because I care about you. You're the one I truly have feelings for. Oh, don't cry..." Shiek quickly hugged him, trying to comfort the poor angel. Pit continued to cry as he buried his face on Sheik's chest. He tried his best to calm down from all the events that have happened to him.

Palutena frowned as she saw her captain break down horribly. She stridden over to the fallen pair. Placing a soft hand on his head, Palutena soothed him. "Pit..." she said, "I know you have gone through so much these past two days. It is not fair for you to suffer this way. I am running out of time. So...I shall grant you a spell in which you will get your wings back without having to go through another perilious trial."

"Really?" Pit asked.

"Yes...but in the process...you must remain human for a while. You won't have any of your powers and your bow will not respond to you anymore. On the bright side, you will not have any powers, meaning you will be useless for a crystal. In your current state, you're more at risk to be kidnapped."

"Pit...will be...human?"

"Only for a little while. When your wings grow back you shall turn back into an angel. This is only temporary." Palutena closed her eyes. She let out a soft breath as she drained Pit's angelic energy. His golden glow diminished. His once light skin darken into a soft tan. His light brown locks morphed into dark chocolate hair. The sparkle that was once in his soft blue eyes dulled. The broken wings that were on Pit's back retracted into his skin. His white toga darkened into a soft blue. The laurel around his head withered. Palutena removed her hand off from Pit's head.

Pit looked around. Confusion could be seen in his eyes. He felt slightly scared. "Um...where am I?" he asked.

"Pit...you...you're talking differently," Sheik said.

"Talking differently?" Pit asked, "That's impossible, Miss. I always talk like this. Above everything else, how do you know my name? I don't think...we ever introduced ourselves."

"You...you don't...remember me? It's me...Sheik."

"Doesn't ring any bells. I don't remember a Sheik. More importantly...I don't think I ever embrace people I don't know." Pit slowly broke free from Sheik's hug. "Listen...you must be lost or confused. It's alright though. I just...need to figure out how I can return home. Though...where is this place?"

Sheik stood baffled. She felt her eyes burning up as her heart shattered. She turned her head over to Palutena who was also frowning. "What...what happened?" Sheik asked.

"Pit is now mortal," Palutena said, "but...back to his human form before he perished centuries ago. He does not have any recollection of you, me, or even the events that happened while he was an angel. The time gap will be a huge shock to him. When he regains his wings, he shall remember everything. For now...he is a confused young man."

A small tear trailed down Sheik's cheek. In front of her stood the youth she was in love with, however, he could not remember the faintest memory of her. Palutena wasn't too happy about the decision she had to make. Something tugged on her dress. The goddess turned her head and saw Ike. Palutena knelt before him and petted him. "You poor mortal…" she said, "You wish to be back to your normal form. I shall help you…even though Nayru is not pleased with my medling." Palutena took a hold of Midna, giving her power. "There isn't much I can do," Palutena said, "for I am not allowed to do much in Hyrule. However, I can give the Twilight Princess power. She shall be able to break the curse now when she is ready. Please…take care of my captain."

"I promise," Ike barked.

In a small, hidden forest at the edge of the Lost Woods, there was a small, bright nesting ground. Several small nests and burrows decorated the emerald green grass. A small Pikachu pokes his head from the nest. His curiosity got the best of him as he jumped from his mother's nest and trotted over to the edge of the sanctuary. A dark figure emerged from the dark part of the woods. The tiny Pikachu squeaked as he ran back to his mother and hid behind her.

The dark figure stepped into the light, revealing itself to be Lucario. At the moment, the other Pokemon of the sanctuary had calmed down and greeted the blue jackal. In the back of the sanctuary was a broken down altar. Parts of the altar were in shambles through age and war. Standing in front of the altar was a snowy white Pokemon. Its body was flowing, making it look like some sort of dress. The fur upon its head looked like green locks of hair. Its ruby colored eyes were locked upon the figure of Lucario as he approached the beautiful Pokemon. "You're back," said the white Pokemon, "we have been waiting for you."

"Have you, Gardevoir?" Lucario asked.

"You came to visit us…or did you come to wallow in painful memories again?" Gardevoir asked.

Lucario didn't answer her. Instead, he just walked past her. He looked down at the altar. On the stone surface was a large broadsword. The blade of the broadsword was golden. The tip was slightly wider than the entire sword. The dark hilt of the sword looked like dried up bones. Lucario growls softly as he stared into the blade.

"When will you stop blaming yourself for what happened?" Gardevoir asked.

"What happened to Sir Aaron…" Lucario replied, "Was of my own fault. Ragnell has not been pleased. I can sense its anger and resentment."

"It is angry because it has been negelected," replied the white Pokemon. "It had a powerful owner at one time. It wishes to be used again."

"It will have to continue wishing for that. No one should be able to wield this blade and as long as I keep watch over it…there never will be."

**End of chapter! **

_Chapter Twenty-__Five__: __A Princess and her Wolf_

_-__"A girl and her wolf…how touching."_

_~Hey there, Mewlon here just letting you guys know that it has been one year since I started this fic and all. And as an added bonus, we get a bonus story. This idea is another story I was tempted to write. Maybe when I'm done with this one, I'll work on that one. So I hope you guys enjoy a small section of the pilot to this story. The title is a working title._

**Night Series**

"Oh come on…we have to go to the mall today," Marth whined slightly, "I saw Miss Toadstool's little Kirby robot. I'd so want one…even more since there's a special sale going on in the mall."

"Marth, I don't think its wise to go right now," Zelda replied, "Our class final is in two days and I'm sure we need to the time to study."

Marth slightly puffed up his cheeks. It was really hard to convince Zelda to do anything he wanted to do in order to relief stress. It seemed that the only thing she was concerned about was work. Marth looked over at Link and hope that if anyone can fix that problem, it would be him. "Link…" Marth said, "Please help me out here."

Link looked stunned for a moment. He placed fingers through his blond hair as he tried to think of something to say at this point. "I…I don't know," he said, "I mean Zelda does have a point that we need to study…but I would like to have a stress reliever."

"Do you two really want to go to the mall that bad?" Zelda asked.

"Well…I'm not going to lie to you," Link said, "I am kinda curious about what type of mechanical figurines that have in store."

"What's so special about robots?"

"It's not JUST robots," Marth said, "These are the future. They make life rather convenient for us to live in. Besides how technology has been these days, you'd be surprise at what they can do."

"…you lost your iPod again and you want a tiny little robot that can play music to make up for it, right?" Zelda said in a rather bland tone.

Marth's only response to that was a bashful giggle. Sadly, both Link and Zelda knew him better. Zelda sighed as she finally gave in. The three students walked through the rather busy mall. People from all over the city were purchasing left and right. Zelda couldn't believe how much people wanted a tiny personal computer. _I know they're convenient, _she thought, _but they're not THAT much of a convenience. I mean…the robot my parents have back home, Oscar, is a great cook. What surprises me is that a ROBOT can cook HUMAN food perfectly. Not that I'm complaining either…Oscar did make our lives easier._

"Zelda, over here!" shouted a playful voice.

Zelda looked up from the ground. A vibrant, young red headed boy had been waving to her. Much like the trio, he was wearing the standard uniform: a light blue blazer which carried the school's insignia on the front pocket and the sleeve with a pair of matching blue pants and a white button up shirt. The red head approached the group smiling at them. "Hey guys," he said softly, "I didn't know you were going to come here."

"We weren't going to, Roy," Zelda replied, "However Marth and Link really wanted to come here to look at the robots."

"They're not just robots," said Roy, "They're personal computers that…"

"…make life convenient, I know."

"So what brings you here, Roy?" Link asked. "Don't tell me you want a Kirby bot too."

"Nope," Roy shook his head.

Zelda sighed in relief. "Good…for a moment there, I thought I was the only one with…"

"I bought a Pichu one," Roy smiled as he showed the group his little Pichu robot. Marth and Link gathered around to take a good look at the small, yellow robot in Roy's hands. Zelda sighed in defeat as she knew she was probably the only one who wasn't interested in one.

"I can't believe you, Roy…" she let out, "I thought you didn't want to be one of the sheep."

"I don't," Roy responded, "But he was on special and the only one. I had to get him. Besides…my parents are the ones who were looking for a new cleaning robot."

"I hate robots…just as much as I hate teen romances…" Zelda said.

"Oh really now?" spoke a sly, masculine voice, "I can probably change that." A slightly rough hand touched the blond's shoulder. Zelda nearly jumped out of her shoes as she quickly turned around to face a strange looking young man. His blue hair was held together by an orange beanie type hat. The strange feature of this young man was the fact that one eye was yellow while the other was blue. His attire consisted of an orange button up sleeveless shirt and a pair of dark, loose pants. His smirk looked almost cat like. "Sorry, I couldn't help but over here," he said, "Name's Ranulf, CEO of Gallia Inc. How you doing?" Ranulf extended his free hand at the young lady.

Zelda looked down at his hand and wasn't too sure if she should shake hands with this stranger. However she slowly took a hold of his hand and shook it. "Um…Zelda," she said.

"Zelda, huh? Beautiful name for a beautiful lady. Your boyfriend around?"

"I…I don't have one…"

"No boyfriend?! You?" Ranulf cocked his head, "Oh ho…then we're BOTH in luck. I got what you need and it won't cost you a dime." Ranulf leaned in slightly as he said the last sentence. Zelda felt very uncomfortable at how Ranulf stated what she needed.

"Are you…coming on to me?"

"Me? No…I'm not. I'm merely just stating that I have what you need…and it won't cost ya…at least for the first month," he said. "I'm a robotics type guy. Meaning I build robots and program them. I have the right one for you. I am the creator of the Day Lovers Series and the Night Lovers Series."

"Lovers…? You mean…"

"I sell boyfriends and girlfriends," Ranulf chided, "For those that are either social awkward, lonely, or desperate."

"Excuse me?"

"Not that I'm saying you're either," Ranulf responded, "Just stating that you seem like a girl who needs to have some fun. I think I might have the perfect one for you. He's a new model I made so you'll be getting a prototype and…"

"Forget it!" Zelda said, "I don't want a robot, much less a 'boyfriend' robot."

"Please calm down. He prefers NOT to be called robot. My robots are so advance, they do have feelings."

"That's just stupid talk. Metal doesn't have feelings."

Ranulf cocked his head the other way. _My…this one is hard to crack, _he thought, _need to think of a different way to approach this. _"I tell you what," he said, "You say you don't need a personal computer. I say you do. Let's do a little wager. You try him out for a month, free of charge of course, and see what you think. At the end of the month if you're not satisfied with him, you give him back and you've proven to me that you don't need a robot. However…if you do happen to like him and want to keep him, I will have to charge you for him full price. I mean…if you're a woman who's got nothing to lose and so much to gain…"

"If I agree to this…will you leave me alone?" Zelda asked.

"Of course," Ranulf said as he took out a pen and paper, "Just sign here and give me your information. If you have friends and you request them, I'll give you a special discount in case you want to keep him."

"Whatever…" Zelda said as she signed away. She managed to refer a couple of her friends. Once she was done, Ranulf took back the paper and pen and looked at her information.

Ranulf smiled. "Thanks for your cooperation," he said, "Your lover will arrive in the mail soon."

After a painful day at the mall, Zelda finally managed to go back home. She sighed as she felt quite tired. She searched through her purse and found her house keys. Opening the door, Zelda walked inside and locked it. The common room felt dark and empty, even though there was so much beautiful furniture. She frowned as she remembered that her father was away on a business trip, leaving her alone in the house. The problem with her father's business trips were that she would never know when he'd be back. Her hand trailed up the wall until they touched the light switch. She flipped the switch, illuminating the room. Her eyes widen as she saw a large crate in the middle of the room.

Zelda approached the crate with precaution. The crate was addressed to her, but with no returning address. "Could this be…that boyfriend that weird guy was talking about?" she asked herself. After much strain, Zelda managed to open the crate. A large body fell off from the crate and fell on Zelda, bringing her down on the ground. The blond screamed in fright as she saw the lifeless body on her. She quickly pushed him off and shook like crazy. Once she calmed down and noticed that it was the robot, she approached him slowly.

The features of the personal computer were amazing. His skin was a light tan. His dark, ocean blue locks covered part of his face. His entire body was well tone even his…Zelda looked away as she noticed that the personal computer was completely naked. "Why…why did they send him naked?!" she let out. "Couldn't they have the decency to give him clothing? Not to mention…is he really a robot or a corpse? He…looks so real…and…" Zelda slowly looked back at the fallen robot. She tried her best not to look anywhere lower than his navel. Her hands touched his face. Zelda shivered slightly as she felt his skin. Everything about this mechanical being felt so real. His skin was smooth, his hair was soft, even his lips felt very warm.

Zelda stared at his lips with much curiosity. _I…I wonder if…_she thought as she leaned over to the personal computer. She felt rather pathetic and embarrassed that her, the school president of her school was resorting into kissing robots. Was she really that socially awkward. It was true that Zelda had never had a boyfriend before and that she had never kissed a boy before. She chuckled slightly. "This is so stupid…but…I am curious," she said softly. Her lips touched the robot's soft lips. She kissed him lightly, enjoying the soft, realistic feel. Suddenly, she stiffens as she felt a hand caressing her hair. She quickly pulled away as she saw the robot's soft blue eyes. He smiled at her before he sat right up.

"Good morning," he said softly, "My name is Ike…and I'm your new boyfriend."


	25. Chapter 25: A Princess and her Wolf

_I'm so glad all of you readers enjoy this story a lot and I hope to continue to make you all happy with it too. So this chapter is dedicated to everyone and as an added bonus…just scroll all the way down after you read this chapter. Enjoy. :D _

**A Hero****'****s Creed**

**Chapter Twenty-****Five****: ****A Princess and her Wolf**

"Can you tell us…about what is to happen?" Zelda asked Palutena softly. She sat down on the stairs of the courtyard, wanting to listen in. Ike sat next to her, also wanting to listen in. Day had broken in; meaning that Zelda and her group had to hurry back to the castle before someone noticed they were gone. Tired, the princess was keeping herself awake.

Palutena sighed softly. "I can not stay here longer," she said, "these are not my lands to watch over…and the longer I stay the more I shall anger the three Golden Goddesses."

"Please…we won't take much of your time," Zelda said, "We just want to know…what is going on."

"There shall be a war…" said the kind goddess, "it will consume an entire continent which lays over the seas. A dark goddess will awaken…and her judgment will be much crueler and stronger than Nayru's. This can be avoided if you stop the Mad King, Ashnard. He will rage war in Tellius in order to use the power of that medallion."

"But…what about the threat with Ganondorf?"

"Ganondorf…he's growing stronger by the minute. His strength alone does not just come from the Triforce of Power but also from the power of Medusa, the Goddess of the Underworld. At the moment, Medusa's powers are not fully restored but they will be soon. Her plans, I have yet to know. However I do know this, any intentions she has are simply for her own benefit. It doesn't matter who she uses just as long as at the end, she gets what she wants. I may have not be able to stop this…but I do know about that contract you signed, Ike."

Ike perked up his ears.

"That contract you signed…you must take it from her and destroy it. Very foul things shall befall you if you do not destroy that contract."

Ike folded back his ears and whined slightly. "I…I know..." he whimpered, "That was stupid of me…"

Zelda frowned slightly. She carefully extended her hand and placed it on Ike's head. Ike jerked slightly as he felt Zelda's hand on his fuzzy head. He slightly turned to face her. Zelda smiled warmly at him; trying to reassure Ike that she will do everything she could to help him. Carefully, the princess stroked his slightly mangled fur. Ike couldn't help but wag his tail as he felt such pleasure from a simple pet.

"So…when can he change back?" Zelda asked.

"He will…once the Princess of Twilight is up for it," Palutena replied.

"Princess? You mean that small creature that was on Ike's back?"

"Small creature?!" barked Midna as she emerged from Ike's shadow, "Listen here, I'm NOT a small creature! In fact, I don't even look like this! Because of the curse that was put on me, I am stuck in this form until it is broken! Maybe I won't change your boyfriend back. He's better off as a dog…at least his intelligence now matches."

Ike growled at Midna.

"Oh! I…I'm sorry," Zelda replied, "I didn't mean to offend you. I…I just wasn't sure what you are…"

"And I'm not sure what YOU are. I mean look at you…you're so ugly and stupid!" Midna hissed, "I don't know why you're qualified to be princess of this kingdom. You almost got yourself killed! If you can't fight why bother even trying! Pathetic is what you are."

At that moment, Ike had lost his temper. He got up on all four paws and snarled viciously at Midna. It was one thing to insult him but it was another to insult someone he cares about. Zelda quickly took a hold of Ike and held him back. "Ike, no…" she said softly, "She…she's right. I…I am pathetic." Ike's face softened as he looked over at the princess. "Every time I try to come up with a plan…I fail at it," she continued, "I try to help and all I end up doing is getting the way. I should be wiser than this…but all I want is to save my kingdom. I don't want to be a burden…"

Zelda whimpered softly. Her vision became blurry as her eyes watered. Holding onto Ike, Zelda leaned on him and cried over his head. Ike whimpered slightly. "You're not pathetic," he said, "You're smart…hell, even smarter than me. Your plans are bad…they just need tweaking. You're not a burden…at least not to me. I'm the one who's been doing a horrible job at protecting you. If anyone is to blame for this…it should be me. Please…stop crying."

"Midna…" Palutena said, "That was unnecessary. The princess apologized for her mistake. Your rudeness is not to be tolerated."

"How can I be in the wrong?" Midna lashed out, "HE was the one who came into my world and kidnapped me! HE was the one that transformed me into this! It's HIS fault and that root of his reasons is because of THAT girl!"

"But he is mortal and like all mortals…they make mistakes. You have been in the wrong as well, Princess Midna. You need his help to go home…so I suggest you start by apologizing to the princess."

Midna scoffed as she turned away from the couple. She crossed her arms and squatted down, as if she was sitting in the air. "Fine…" she said, "I'm sorry…not quit sobbing…your little emotional moment there is making me gag. I'll turn you back…but when I'm fully recovered. I won't be able to use the Fused Shadow piece that's on my head until I'm rested."

"Thank you…thank you, Midna…" Zelda replied.

"Whatever…" replied the imp, "A girl and her wolf…how touching."

Trotting along in the garden, Wolf made his way into the courtyard. He growled at any of the guards that came near him, warning them that if they touched him, he will have no regrets attacking. Knowing better, the guards kept their distance away from the royal pet. Wolf growled slightly as he saw Zelda embracing the wolf version of Ike. Making his way past Palutena and Midna, Wolf stood in front of Zelda, not looking amused.

Palutena gasped lightly before she kneeled down next to Wolf. She placed her hand on the grumpy lupine and searched through his memories. "This wolf…" she said, "he has seen such harsh moments in his life." Wolf quickly turned his head over to Palutena. He grunted, not wanting her to say anything about him that would be private. "I have seen how you were turned into this…" she said, "though you have done such shady business…you really aren't a bad person, are you? Poor misunderstood Wolf. The curse upon you…is the same on two other individuals. I shall break your curses but under one condition. You three need to do an unselfish act. If you can perform one act of kindness, not wanting anything in return, you and the other two shall be back to normal. Do you understand?"

Wolf grunted softly. "Fine…I see how you want to play this game," he said, "You want to prove to yourself that there is some good in me. Why bother to tell me and not the boy scout and dumbass? Aren't they good enough for to hear this? Whatever…I'll do it."

Palutena smiled warmly at Wolf. She petted the grey wolf gently. "Thank you for understanding, Wolf," she said.

"Palutena…" Zelda said, "How do we defeat Ganondorf? We have to stop him…don't we?"

"The way you are equipped…you can't hope to defeat him," she said, "Any normal weapon won't be enough. Princess…now is the time for you to use your powers and create a weapon of light."

"Huh?"

"Do you know the main reason why Ganondorf wishes to kidnap you?"

"Of course…he desires the Triforce of Wisdom."

"It's not only that…" Palutena said, "It is because of your bloodline. That wizard, Vaati, was actually resurrected. He died eons ago while fighting against the legendary hero, Link…the very ancestor of the current hero. Long before then…a tragedy struck Hyrule. Six mythical monsters scourged the land, almost destroying it completely. It was then that a young maiden who wield an amazing power sealed the beasts inside of a chest. She was…your ancestor, Zelda. Since then, it has been tradition to name the first born girls, Zelda. Only the females of your bloodline can wield that power. That power…was the power that Vaati feared. It was that power that brought his downfall along with the legendary sword, the Master Sword. The sword alone can not defeat Ganondorf. It can weaken him…but his power will still be enough to resuscitate him. That is why…Zelda you must use your power to create a shimmering light that can pierce his black heart."

"Can I…really do that?" Zelda asked, "Can I truly make something of that caliber?"

"You can. You just need to concentrate. As for now, we shall have to wait on what to do with Ike."

"We have to keep an eye on him and Pit, huh?" squeaked a soft voice. Zelda and Ike looked around trying to find the source of the voice. "Up here!" it said. Both the princess and mercenary looked up at the sky. Hovering down gracefully was a group of tiny angels. All of them appeared to be children, even younger than Pit. One was a boisterous boy with short, ebony hair and matching coal colored eyes. His white toga hung loose on his shoulders. Behind him was a timid blond haired child who appeared to be the same age at the first boy. His dark colored eyes were slightly duller. His white toga was fastened tightly on his shoulders and kept neater. On to the left of the blond angel was another blond angel. Unlike the other two, this blond angel had pointy Hylian ears. His eyes were slightly larger and more cat like than his two companions. His toga was hung onto one shoulder. Underneath his toga was a dark green long sleeved shirt. To the opposite of the cat eyed blond were a pair of twins. Both had chocolate colored locks of hair framing their pale faces. The boy's hair was slightly spiky in the back. His bangs were brushed back. Meanwhile the girl twin's hair was rather puffy with her bangs split in two. Both their togas matched one another. The last angel was another girl. Her skin was darker than the others. Her blue eyes were cat like as well. Much like the other togas, hers was loose.

"Who…who are they?" Zelda asked.

Palutena giggled. "These are my other angel guardians."

"I'm Ness!" spoke the black haired boy.

"L-L-Lucas…" said the timid blond.

"I'm Nana!" squeaked the brunette girl.

"And I'm Popo…Nana's older brother," said Popo.

"I'm Link," said the cat eyed blond boy, "You can call me T.L."

"The name's Tetra," said the tiny elf girl.

"Pleasure to meet you all," Zelda bowed slightly. "So…all of you are Pit's friends?"

"Hehe, yep!" Nana squeaked.

Tetra cocked an eyebrow in confusion. "Who the heck is Pit?"

"Oh…Tetra doesn't know who's Pit," Palutena whispered to Zelda, "Since she was barely 'born'. You could say…she happens to be a poor soul who passed away recently."

Zelda looked at Tetra, trying to figure out who she could be. Finally, the princess realized exactly who Tetra was. "She's my shadow…" she said, "But how?"

"After I found her Angelus Crystal, I broke it and set her free. Since she was not born, her soul could not pass through judgment. Instead, I took her with me and made her an angel. Sadly, she does not remember her mortal life. I think it would be best not to remind her."

"Oh…alright. So…her name is Tetra."

Tetra placed her hands behind her head. "What are you two babbling about over there?" she asked, "If it's about me I'm going to be really mad."

"Heh…it's nothing, Tetra," Palutena said, "Did you children bring what I asked?"

"We sure did, My Goddess," replied T. L.

Ness pushed Lucas towards Zelda. Lucas was slightly stunned after the older angel did so. Lucas shivered slightly before he presented an arrow at Princess Zelda. Zelda look at Lucas than at the arrow. She slowly reached for it and took it gently away from him. As soon as she held the arrow in her hand, Lucas immediately flew away from her and hid behind Ness. Zelda examined the arrow. There wasn't anything special about it. The arrow head was made out of mineral rocks, the shaft was wooden, there was nothing out of the ordinary. "What's with this arrow?" Zelda asked.

"Just something to help you," Palutena said, "Now…I must be off. I don't have much time here anymore. I wish you and the others much luck, princess."

"Thank you so much for your help, Palutena," Zelda responded.

Palutena smiled at the group. She looked back at her angels, pointing up at the sky. The angels bid their good byes at the princess before they ascendant back into the heavens. Palutena's body shimmered lightly before it she disappeared, leaving behind no trail that she was there to begin with.

Pit looked around at the busy market place. Dozens of people gathered around the vending stalls, hoping to get a good deal. Their loud yells were ear wretching to the brunette. He moved away from them as he covered his ears slightly. _So loud, _he thought, _this place is so strange. Why is every being here with pointy ears? What are these strange garments they're wearing as well? Why must they be so loud? _So many questions entered Pit's mind. As he walked through the market, he took notice of two lovers that were dancing near the fountain. Both were giggling and admiring each other, as if no one else in this world mattered. Pit squeaked lightly as a hand slightly jerked him.

"Hey," Sheik said softly, "How are you getting along?"

"Not so well," Pit replied, "Everything here is so…different. It almost feels like I'm in some sort of different world."

"Well…I'm sure Hyrule is different from where you came from. This…might sound crazy but," Sheik said as she bit her lip slightly, "You came here. In fact…this is where we met."

Pit blinked. "What?"

"Yes…it was this very same place. It was a festival in the fall. I…I was dressed in something I never wear with a mask covering my face. Then I saw you…standing here by yourself. I thought you were in costume since you had wings. I thought it was unique for someone to come as an angel. You approached me, wanting to see my face. When you did…you said…I was beautiful. Do you remember that?" Sheik smiled through her bandages, hoping that Pit would remember.

Pit remained silent. He looked at Sheik as if trying to figure out something. Finally his eyes narrowed. He slowly walked over to her and said in a low tone. "No…that I do not remember," he said, "I'm sorry, but I don't know…so I can't say that you're beautiful or not since your face is hidden. Listen…I'm trying to figure this out on my own. I'm not here to fulfill your girlish fantasies. Whatever it is your hope to accomplish with me, I'd rather not have anything to do with you. You creep me out." With that, Pit walked away from a broken hearted Sheik.

Sheik shivered lightly. She looked down at her bandaged hands. She quickly ran off towards Kakariko Village, trying her best not to cry.

Days would pass since the incident. The Greil Mercenaries have been trying to find any simple jobs they could take in order to bring up their upkeep in the village. Mist and Rhys would watch over Greil, making sure that he would be alright. With so much blood loss, one would think that he would have passed on. However, the leader of the mercenaries held on and was slowly recovering, though he was unconscious. Mist sighed as she leaned against the wall. She barely had finished changing her father's bandages. She looked at the bloody wad in her hands and frowned. "Father…" she let out softly. Her eyes widen slightly as she felt something wet touch her right leg. Fox was standing next to her. He nudged the young cleric with his wet nose, wanting to comfort her.

Mist smiled as she placed the dirty bandages down. She petted her fuzzy companion gently. "Thank you, Fox," she said softly, "You always seem to make me smile."

Fox couldn't help but wag his tail happily at her. Mist giggled as she continued to pet him. His fur felt so soft underneath her chaffed fingertips. It was a comfort for her. Fox slowly walked over to where the bandages were. He carefully lifted them using his teeth, making sure he didn't bite into any bloodied area, and carried them over to Oscar. Oscar took the bandages and walked off to go wash them.

"He's such a good fox, isn't he?" Titania asked as she held Ephraim, one of the babies that was part of Shadow Ike, in her arms. The tiny infant looked at Fox with such curiosity. The past days were big experiences for the tiny baby. He had so many colors, heard different types of noises, and felt different types of object. He extended his hands out, trying to reach Fox. "Oh…it seems Ephraim got curious," Titania giggled, "Maybe its okay if he can if Ephraim can feel Fox." Titania knelt down on the floor. She moved Ephraim over to where Fox is so he could feel. Ephraim's curious hands moved all over Fox. He wanted to feel as much as he could. Fox tried not to complain since it was a baby that was touching him. Titania slowly pulled Ephraim away from Fox, just so that he wouldn't lose his patience. "That's a fox, Ephraim," Titania said, "He's a good friend."

"Bwah…" was all Ephraim could reply.

"Titania," Rhys said, "I think Eirika is getting fussy." Resting in Rhys' arms was the tiny Eirika. The little baby girl, who was the other baby that was part of Shadow Ike, was starting to get restless and began to squirm a lot in the cleric's arms. Rhys tried to calm her down, but Eirika was too energetic at the moment. "Calm down, Eirika…please," Rhys said in a soft tone.

"I think she wants to play," said a mischievous voice. Standing at the doorway was Sonic. He leaned against the wall with his arms crossed.

"Sonic, when did you get back?" Titania asked.

"Not too long ago," replied the blue hedgehog, "I had some errands to run for Samus. Speaking of Samus…where is she?"

"She left to the forest this morning," Rhys said, "For what reason, I don't know. All I remember is that Link was following her."

"Oh well, I could run off to find her, but I think she wants to be left alone," Sonic said. He approached the fussy Eirika and lifted her from Rhys' arms. "Hey there, little buddy," he said. Eirika was baffled at what she saw in front of her. She had seen quite a bit in her young life, but a blue hedgehog was not one of them. Out of sheer curiosity, she extended her hands, wanting to grabs Sonic's face to examine it. Sonic chuckled as he tickled Eirika's stomach. Eirika giggled cutely. "Heh…yeah, I was right," Sonic said, "she really does want to play."

"I didn't know you were good with children," Rhys said.

"Well…not so much children…but I do know how to take care of others." Sonic slowly handed back Eirika to Rhys. Rhys smiled as he tried to snuggle and tickle Eirika. Sonic turned his attention over to Fox. Sonic petted Fox roughly yet playfully. "Hey there," he said, "Haven't seen you in a while either. You doing okay, Foxy?"

Fox wasn't amused. He got slightly annoyed at the way that Sonic was handling him. Mist slowly made her way into the common room. She gasped lightly as she saw Sonic. "Oh, Sonic, you're back," she said, "Where did you go?"

"I had to run some errands," Sonic winked at her. "But I'm back now. So how you guys holding up? Any luck trying to break this little guy's curse? He's getting impatient."

"I'm getting impatient?" Fox let out, "I am just getting annoyed at you for treating me like some lowly pet."

"You know, he talks about you," Sonic said to Mist.

"Really?" Mist asked.

"Yeah, he says you're the cutest girl he's ever laid eyes on and he likes you." Sonic smiled in a cocky manner.

"What?!" Fox let out as he quickly looked at Mist. "He…he's lying! No…wait! I do think you're pretty and I like you…what I meant to say was…."

"You know…I had an idea," Sonic continued, "Maybe the way to break the curse doesn't lie with magic. Instead, maybe it's found in fairy tales. There was this one story I heard where a princess kissed a frog and he turned into a prince. Maybe you should kiss Fox in hopes that he turns into a magical prince. But it has to be a kiss of true love!" Sonic stuck his tongue out playfully at the duo. Fox couldn't handle anymore embarrassment. A light blush appeared on his muzzle.

"Knock it off!" Fox barked. "How much more do you have to…."

Fox yelped as he was lifted off the floor. Mist held Fox in her arms and smiled at him. Fox stiffened. He felt nervous as he kept looking into Mist's soft emerald eyes. She giggled lightly as she petted him. "So…you might turn into a prince if I kiss you, huh?" she asked in a playfully manner. Fox didn't know how to respond to that. Nor to the soft kiss Mist planted on his forehead. Unconsciously, Fox wagged his tail. However, he did not turn into a prince or anything else. "Hmm…I guess you really aren't a prince, huh?" Mist said softly.

Sonic leaned in and whispered in Fox' ear. "So…how'd it feel to be kissed by your princess?" he asked.

"Shut up, Sonic!" Fox retorded.

Evening set in on Hyrule. Wolf trotted over to his personal pet bed which was demanded by Zelda. However, the grey wolf stopped when he noticed Ike on Zelda's bed. Wolf detested having someone, who he thought inferior, being treated well. Ike just settled down on the bed and plopped down. Zelda had been busy brushing her hair. It was rare for Ike to see the princess without having her hair done, but not much less pleasant to him. In fact, Ike actually thought she looked prettier without all that jewelery. She placed her brush down on the dresser and walked over to Wolf. She bent down and caressed him. "Good night, Wolf," she said softly. Wolf only grunted softly in response before he laid on his bed, drifting to sleep.

Zelda got on her bed. Ike moved slightly, giving her space to get under the covers. He crawled over to her once she was tucked in. Zelda smiled at him. Her fingers played around with Ike's dark azure fur. A low purr emitted from the relaxed lupine. "Heh, good night, Ike," Zelda said softly. Ike merely wagged his tail before he laid his head down on the bed and closed his eyes. Zelda closed her eyes; falling asleep.

Later on that evening Zelda upruptly woke up. She panted lightly after having a horrible nightmare. In this dream, she had seen the same blue light that signified Ike from her prophecy. The clouds of darkness were destroyed, however something strange happened. A bright green light appeared next to the blue light. Slowly the green light revealed a young woman. Though Zelda has not seen the woman before in her life, she had a feeling that she was a princess. The girl extended her hand out to Ike, wanting him to take it. Ike reached out and held her hand gently. Both of them smiled at each other before they walked away from Zelda. Zelda tried her best to yell at Ike, but a strange dark aura took hold of her. The elfin princess was consumed by darkness while Ike and this mysterious princess disappeared from sight.

Zelda frowned as she shook her head from any thoughts of Ike leaving her for another woman. _It's just a nightmare, _she thought, _it can't be another prophecy. Yes…that's what it is. Its just a nightmare…nothing. _She turned her attention to Ike who was sleeping peacefully. His stomach rises up with every breath he takes. "You'll…never leave me…would you, Ike?" Zelda whispered softly. She gently gave Ike a kiss on his forehead. Ike's response to the kiss was an ear twitch and a tail flick. Zelda rolled on her back and stared at the ceiling. She frowned as she was lost in thought.

The next morning Zelda placed Ike gently inside of a wooden tub. "It's time for you bath, Ike," Zelda said, "I noticed that you've been scratching a lot. And I really don't want you to spread anything to Wolf." Ike whined slightly. The thought of taking a bath didn't amuse him even more so the thought of being bathe by a woman. "Oh, don't give me that face. You'll enjoy it." After having that nightmare, Zelda wanted to volunteer bathing Ike herself. She rinsed and lathered him, trying to get as many as the fleas out of his fur.

Occasionally Ike did howl softly, enjoying the scrubs on his back and stomach. Ike bashfully leaned in and licked Zelda's cheek, earning him a giggle from the princess. As the two shared a moment, Midna was getting sick from it. She emerged from Ike's shadow and hid behind the bathtub. "Oh…if they keep doing this I'm going to die," Midna hissed between her teeth. Just then an idea struck the mischivious imp. A wicked smile played on her face. She gathered enough energy from the Fused Shadow and released it on Ike just as Zelda was scrubbing his lower stomach. Ike continued to lick Zelda's cheek, though now he felt the tub getting smaller. Zelda's eyes widen as she noticed the now naked human Ike in front of her. Ike stopped licking the princess' cheek as he did notice a light breeze over him. Both Ike and Zelda looked down at where Zelda's hand were currently residing.

A loud scream echoed through the hallways of the castle. Sheik quickly raced to where the shouts were coming from. "Your Highness," Sheik said, "I have come to…" The Sheikah stopped in mid sentence as she saw the rather awkward scene. "You voyeur! You tramp!" Sheik shouted, "How dare you come in here and corrupt the princess!" Sheik took out eight daggers and threw them at Ike. Ike quickly moved out of the way. He grabbed his shredded red cape, covered his nether regions, and ran out from the washing room with Sheik following him behind. Zelda shook slightly as Midna laughed hysterically.

After the fiasco had died down, Ike was given the chance to dress in new clothing. He looked down at his new clothing. He wore a dark blue shirt underneath his rough, dark olive tunic. He quickly donned his new pair of white pants and blue cape. The clothes were not bad to wear, especially with the comfortable leather armor he was wearing. He walked out from his room once he was done dressing. "So, how do I look?" he asked curiously.

"Those clothes really suit you," Zelda replied, "It's odd that Palutena knew your correct size and everything."

"Well she is a goddess. I suppose she kinda knew?" Ike wasn't even too sure about that himself.

"Well...it doesn't matter," Zelda replied as she hugged Ike, "Welcome home."

Ike smiled as he hugged back. "Thank you..."

Lucario rushed through the forest. He avoided any wild beasts or monsters that laid hidden in the Lost Woods. The jackal bolted past the Kokiri Forest and into Hyrule Field. He sighed in relieve as he enjoyed the sun. Throughout the rest of the afternoon, Lucario dashed through the grassy fields. His paws were never giving up as he wished to only return to his companions as soon as he could. However, his mind was elsewhere. Lost in his thoughts, Lucario still reminisced about a dear friend he had lost. Gardevoir's words still echo in his mind. He tried to shake them away, not wanting her to be right.

The sun started to set just as he reached Kakariko Village. Once Lucario reached Impa's house, he slouched down on the ground, panting tiredly from his run. As he rested up, something caught the corner of his eyes. A strange figure at the doorway of Impa's house brought chills to the jackal's spine. A young man wearing a blue cape and a long tunic was walked inside, leaving Lucarion with only a short glance at him. "It...it can't be," Lucario said as he quickly got up from the ground and walked inside the house. Lucario kept his eyes locked on the young man as he approached him. Extending his paw out, Lucario tugged on the young man's cape. "Sir...Aaron?" Lucario asked.

The young man turned around. The image of Sir Aaron slowly vanished as Lucario was looking directly at Ike. "Who's Sir Aaron?" Ike asked softly.

Lucario was taken back slightly. He grunted as he looked away. "No one..." he said, "Just forget I said anything."

"You sure?" Ike asked.

"Yes...I'm sure." Lucario couldn't help but look back at Ike as he approached his father. In that light, the blue haired mercenary looked exactly like his old master. From his blue locks of hair down to his rough boots. It was as if Lucario was looking at his double. _Ike..._he thought, _he looks just like him. Would he be able to...use Ragnell?_

**End of chapter! **

_Chapter Twenty-__Six__: Ragnell and Four Sad Tales Part One_

_-__"Sir Aaron…was not only my master…he was my friend."_

_~Hey there, Mewlon here just letting you guys know that it has been one year since I started this fic and all. And as an added bonus, we get a bonus story. This idea is another story I was tempted to write. Maybe when I'm done with this one, I'll work on that one. So I hope you guys enjoy a small section of the pilot to this story. The title is a working title._

_Possible rating on this fic: M rated._

**End Game**

RING! Echoed the phone in the shoddy looking bedroom. RING! It went again. A rough clawed hand roughly took a hold of the phone and moved it over to their scruffy grey muzzle. "What do you want?" spoke Wolf in a harsh tone.

"Oh, did I wake you?" came a soft, feminine voice, "I thought at this hour you'd be awake."

Wolf growled lightly as he rubbed his good eye. He slowly sat up on his messy, twin bed. The plain white sheets hardly covered his almost naked body. The only article of clothing the wolf anthro had on was a pair of boxers. His fuzzy chest had dozens of scars with bald spots surrounding them. The fan above his head squeaked lightly from the usage and age. "What do you want, Zelda?" he asked roughly.

"I'm here to talk about your next mission," spoke Zelda, "Do you accept it?"

"Fine…what's this gig about?"

"Well the next ranking target is a young man named Fox McCloud. Fox is a brilliant student who went to the Air Force Academy. He was a top student, clean, sufficient, polite, almost the ideal pilot. It wasn't until a background check on him that people realized that his father was James McCloud, also another 'perfect pilot'. If you recall, James was a loving father. His wife died when Fox was only three. Some say it was of an illness, but that was to cover up foul play. You see…James was more than just a pilot. He was one of our ranked assassins. He was number five on the list almost twenty years ago. However, someone landed a hit against him and killed him, leaving Fox in the care of James' most trusted companion, Peppy. Since then, the 'perfect boy scout' has been following his father's footsteps in both the public and shady world. Fox is rank number nine…he is not to be taken lightly. If you wish to take on this ranked fight for your chance to climb up this ladder then head over to the abandoned airport at the edge of town. He'll be waiting there."

"I see…fine, I'll be on my way over there," Wolf replied as he hung up the phone. The scruffy wolf got out of bed. He walked over to his closet that had a busted door and opened it. Taking out a black shirt, a silver and pink leather jacket, and a pair of black jeans, Wolf dressed in that attire. On the ground were his pair of dark blue boots in which he wore them. Once he was dressed, he grabbed his beam sword and blaster from underneath his bed and walked out from his apartment rather plain, apartment room.

At the edge of town, a run down airport laid in ruins. Though the city has done its best to tear it down in order to build another establishment, there have been rumors that the mayor has been bribed or threatened to keep it up. Or so were the rumors that Wolf had heard from the local bars. Usually one can't trust the words of drunkards; however, once in a while you do get an informant that knows what they're talking about. That's how he got into this mess in the first place. _If it weren't for that night, _he thought, _I wouldn't have met Zelda. She wouldn't have recruited me into this whole assassin gig. Then again how she knew all that information about is still has me suspicious about her. Either way, I have nothing to lose or gain from this mess. _

Wolf approached the broken down airport. He slowly opened the rusted door and walked inside the hangar. Broken down airplanes and other aircrafts were lined up in there. Rust, mold, broken windows, slashed tires, were all signs of their aging. As Wolf walked past a broken down fighter jet, he noticed a small figure leaning against it. It was a young anthropomorphic fox. His button up green shirt was neatly tucked inside of his beige pants. Around his neck was a red bandana. What stood out the most was his pilot jacket. Upon his arm was a patch that had a globe and wings on it. According to their region, that was an honorary patch for a veteran.

"You must be Fox," Wolf said.

Fox didn't bother to look at Wolf. Instead his eyes were focused on a pair of sunglasses that were in his paws. "I…I remember a time," Fox said, "When my father used to put these on me when I was little. Of course they'd fall off my head. This airport was where they used to keep both fighter jets and domestic airplanes. Of course that was before this city wanted to separate that. I don't blame them, except that they didn't have to close this place down. My father used to work here. He'd take me often to see planes take off and land. Sure it wasn't much, but at least I got to spend time with him. That was more than enough."

"What are you babbling about?" Wolf growled. "Listen, I really don't like to waste my time here, so if we just go I'll end your life quickly so you can go join Daddy down in hell." Wolf took out the beam sword and blaster from his belt.

"I never knew…Father was an assassin until Peppy told me that one day," Fox continued, "I think it was on my fourteenth birthday. Since then I have been working, just like you, to get up to this rank. I do have to admit…I did like the new upgrade I got on my ship. It was mighty generous for the organization to hand me that amount."

"Money?" Wolf asked, "How much?"

"Two hundred grand."

"Sons of…so basically the money I had to scrap up was given to you…so you can fix your stupid plane?!"

"You can call it the assassin's pay," Fox turned to see Wolf, "Basically as the ranked assassin; I am given this amount of money to use as I wish. I'd have to thank you though…you did help repair my ship." Fox reached into his jacket and pulled out a sleek, black blaster. "However…only one of us can leave this place as winner. I'm not ready to go yet."

"Then show me if you really do deserve to keep your rank then, pup," Wolf replied as he pointed his blaster at Fox.

A black limousine turned the corner, heading over to the next street. Sitting in the passenger seat was Zelda. The blond employer fixed her purple skirt and white button up shirt. She had taken off her purple jacket in order for her to relax. "You sure about this?" spoke a deep, masculine voice. On the other side of Zelda was a young man with dark azure, spiky hair that covered part of his face. His dark blue suit had yellow linings. It was kept nice and primp for a man of his caliber. His long, red jacket was off as well.

"Ike…" Zelda said, "I am sure about this."

Ike looked out the window of the limousine. His dark blue eyes were locked upon the people on the streets. "So instead of coming to me, you decide to pick up some stranger and make him into your pawn?" Ike asked.

"I thought it would be wise if I could use an outsider to investigate instead of a ranked assassin like you. They would have suspected you."

"Perhaps…" was all Ike replied, as if ignoring her.

Zelda frowned. "Please don't tell me you're upset," she said.

"No…it just makes it sound like you don't trust me."

"No, I do trust you; I just wanted you not to get hurt."

Ike remained silent for a while before he decided to continue. "You do realize that eventually he'll get to me," he said, "Then what?"

"Then…I know that anyone below you was innocent. I am only doing this so I can find out who was the one that killed my father."

"So you decide to suspect the R.A.O."

"Yes…I do suspect them."

"You do remember I'm part of the R.A.O."

"Yes…but I know you didn't do it," Zelda said, "I'm sure of it."

The limousine stopped at the police station. Ike grabbed his coat. "This is my stop," he said, "I need to get back to work. I need someone to take me seriously. Some members of the R.A.O. are starting to suspect that the reason why I'm in a high rank is because I've been sleeping with a recruiter, namely you. Problem with that is that you are not my recruiter. Everybody forgets that Soren is."

"Yeah…"

Ike opened the door and stepped out. "I have a difficult case to solve," he said, "the chief has been yelling at me to investigate recent murders."

"Is it really that bad?"

"No…I know who's behind the murders. Number four of the R.A.O. is. You should go talk to him. Tell him that before he starts to kill people, he should ask questions first. Killing them isn't going to bring his sister back."

"Why don't you ask him? He is your best friend…at least R.A.O. wise," Zelda asked.

"He's not going to listen to someone that's a lower rank than he is on this matter. If it were say, what to eat or something, he would listen. When it comes down to this shady business, he's stubborn. Tell him for his sake to stop. I don't want to arrest him."

"Alright…have a nice day at work, Ike," Zelda smiled.

Ike smiled slightly at before he walked off.


	26. Chapter 26: Ragnell and Four Sad Tales 1

_I'm so glad all of you readers enjoy this story a lot and I hope to continue to make you all happy with it too. So this chapter is dedicated to everyone and as an added bonus…just scroll all the way down after you read this chapter. Enjoy. :D _

**A Hero****'****s Creed**

**Chapter Twenty-****Six****: ****Ragnell and Four Sad Tales Part One**

Ike looked at his small satchel of rupees and counted how many he had. He frowned as he noticed he really didn't have much to purchase the Steel Sword at the market. The Weapons Dealer had it perfectly on display on a mantel. Behind the Steel Sword was a rather brilliant Silver Sword that was cased behind glass. The Crimean mercenary winced at the cost of the Silver Sword. _Man, due to that horrible fiasco that happened in the last two weeks, I haven't been paid at all, _Ike thought. _This is bad, it's even worse that the Regal Sword broke on me while I was trying to go to the Twilight Realm. Dad hasn't noticed the lack of weapon I have, but then again, he's been bed driven all this time. I hope he really doesn't notice or he'll tan my hide for that._

"Sir?" asked the Weapons Dealer, "Are you going to make a purchase, sir?"

Ike closed his satchel of rupees and walked out of the store. He sighed as he walked down the market place. "What am I going to do?" he asked himself as he walked down the pathway towards the castle. "I really don't want to ask Zelda for my payment since…well, I really haven't been doing much good. In fact, I nearly killed her…"

"You know what you could do is take me back home," spoke Midna from Ike's shadow, "I've been patient and helping you all this time. All I want is to go home."

"I will take you back home, I just need something to defend myself with," Ike said, "No use in dying along the way to take you back home."

"Then why don't you ask the princess to give you money? She is, after all, your mistress."

"What?" Ike let out.

"You know…your mistress. She owns your butt and everything with it," Midna giggled. "You know…she really does have bad taste if you're her 'escort'."

"Now you're just being foul!" Ike blushed, "And no…we haven't…"

"Oh? You haven't?" Midna said with a sing-song tone in her voice, "Really now? So what does she pay you for? Just standing there and looking pretty and stupid? You know…I thought by now you two would have engaged in such affairs, but I guess neither of you two knows how."

"Shut up!" Ike said, blushing crimson, "You're a little girl! You shouldn't be talking about that!"

"Little girl?" Midna spat, "For your information, I'm actually older than you…by several years."

"How can you be older than me? You have such a tiny body…not counting your cursed form. I'm eighteen years old."

"ONLY eighteen? Pfft! You're still a child compared to me."

"Oh? Then how old are you?"

"Ike! That's not nice! A man NEVER asks a lady her age and weight."

"Lady? Yeah right…"

Midna kept quiet. She would let Ike have his little victory for now. However, when she does have the chance, she will get even with him. Ike sighed as he made his way to the courtyard, hoping to see the princess. The mercenary was slightly surprised not to find Zelda there. _Where is she? _He thought. Curiosity got the best of Ike as he decided to take a quick look inside of the castle. He really wasn't allowed to go exploring, but he needed to take Midna home.

Ike snuck around the hallways, making sure that no guards would catch him in the act. Even though, the guards do acknowledge that he has been coming to the castle, they do not acknowledge Ike roaming around the castle. Ike sighed softly, afraid that he had gotten lost, when a soft sound caught his ears. He slowly approached the soft sound. At first, he couldn't tell what it was, but the closer Ike got to the source, the more he could figure out what it was. Apparently it seemed like music.

He had to know what was making that sound. He could tell it was lyre music, but who was playing it. The sound eventually lead him to a pair of tall, double doors which were left slightly ajar. Ike knelt down before the set of doors and peeked in. He had never seen the room before. It was a well lit room that was almost surrounded by windows on every wall. The light reflected off from the marble floor, illuminating the ceiling. In the middle of the well lit room was a wooden instrument Ike had never seen before. It was rather large and stood on four legs, much like a table, except there appeared to be white and black keys on the flatter part of this strange table. Placed on top of the instrument another strange device Ike had never seen before. It looked like a rectangle that has been skewed slightly. In the middle of the strange rectangle was some sort of stick which reminded Ike of a pendulum.

"Now, let's try again," said Impa as she walked over to the metronome, the strange device that was on top of the large instrument. Impa placed her hand on the pendulum and started up the metronome.

Her words caught Ike's attention immediately. He shifted slightly, so he could see the rest of the room. Standing on the other side was Zelda, Sheik, and a strange woman. The strange woman was a rather skinny and tall pale woman. Her dull, chocolate colored hair was held together in a tight bun. Her long, green dress touched the floor, so one couldn't see her feet. "I hope to hear the voice of a seraph and not of a wingless angel," said the woman.

Zelda played with her fingers in an uncomfortable manner. She sighed as she looked over at Sheik. Sheik didn't seem to be all there in the room. Her mind was gone, still thinking about Pit. "Pit…" Sheik let out softly.

"Young lady!" spoke the thin woman, "I have ONE bad performance with me at the moment, let's not make it two! We had to drop many lessons on the account that the princess always seemed to be busy with other things."

"I…I'm sorry madam," Zelda replied, "I…I will try to catch up with my lessons."

"You better…now let's take it from the top, and one two three, one two three," said the instructor as she clapped her hands.

Sheik quickly began to play her lyre as she went with the tempo. The same song that Ike had heard down the hallway commenced. After the first verse on the lyre, Zelda cleared her throat slightly before she began to sing in Hylian. The soft, melodious voice that was emitted from Zelda sounded almost completely different from her speaking voice. When Zelda spoke, it was a soft, delicate sound, however when she sang, it sounded rich and strong. Ike never knew that the princess could sing since he had never heard her sing before. He slightly wondered how come she never did. One thing that was for sure, the song she was singing reminded Ike of another song, one he used to hear when he was little.

Nostalgia had hit Ike as he soon remembered his mother. His mother, Elena, was a docile woman with long, rich, azure hair and azure eyes. Every feature on her persona was delicate, much like the opposite of Greil. Her voice was also angelic and when she sang, it was unlike anything you would have ever heard. Ike tried to remember more of his mother. It was almost like a faint memory to him. He tried to remember her touch, her warmth, her smile, but most of it was blurred. He grunted slightly as he held his head. _Why is it that whenever I try to remember Mother…my head starts to hurt? _He thought.

As Ike was busy eavesdropping, a lone guard who was patrolling the nearby area saw the wondering mercenary. He quickly approached Ike and grabbed him by his cape. "What are you doing here?" spat the guard, "You're not authorized to be here!"

"Hey! Let me go!" Ike grunted as he tried to wriggle out of the guard's grasp.

The commotion outside disrupted the music lesson happening inside of the room. Impa quickly walked over to the doors and opened them to see Ike struggling with a guard. Impa sighed as she placed her hands on her hips. "What's going on?" she asked.

"I caught this rogue standing out here," the guard said, "I shall throw him out immediately, Miss Impa."

"No, that won't be necessary," Impa replied, "He's my student. Release him."

The guard was slightly baffled at Impa's request. However, he obediently released Ike. Ike moved away from the guard, not bothering to look at him. Impa sighed once more. "Come on in, Ike," she said softly. Ike nodded as he walked inside of the music room as Impa closed the doors behind them. Zelda slightly smiled at Ike as he smiled back at her.

"Such rudeness!" spoke the music instructor, "Who is this scoundrel that comes in and ruins my lectures?"

"This is Ike," Impa responded, "I asked him to come here…but he did come a little early. Heed him no mind."

"Fine…but I really am not fond of humans. Princess Zelda! Attention!"

Zelda quickly looked away from Ike and back to her instructor. Ike tried to ignore the human comment from the instructor and focused more at his surrounding. The instructor continued to reprehend Zelda until she was ready for another session. Sheik played her lyre and soon Zelda sang after the first verse. The song itself sounded much more beautiful when in the same room. The light peering through the windows shined in on Zelda, giving her a beautiful shimmer. Ike couldn't help but blush at the scene. She looked and sounded beautiful. Midna slowly emerged from the shadows and looked at Ike. She then looked over at Zelda then back at the mercenary. She waved her tiny hand in front of his eyes, trying to catch his attention.

"Oh…you're far gone…" she said as she hid back into the shadows, "Just talk to her and ask her for the money…"

Ike ignored Midna's reply as he continued to watch Zelda. The song that the princess sang was strangely similar to another song he used to hear. Just then, Ike did not see Zelda but rather his mother. The scenery around her changed to that of his old home back at the border of Gallia. His mother smiled warmly at Ike. Even though she spoke to him, Ike could not hear the words she was saying. Ike blinked, causing the scenery to change in front of him. Instead of being inside of his home, he was outside by what appeared to be some sort of battlefield. He looked at the ground to see dozens of men slain on the ground. The once green grass was stained in blood. A loud scream caught his attention as he looked up at a flight of stairs. At the top of the stairs was his mother engulfed in darkness. A dark figure loomed over her, ramming a long sword through her body. Her piercing scream echoed through Ike's ears. Ike closed his eyes shut as he held onto his head. A burning sensation emerging from his forehead and pulsated throughout his head. "No…" he hissed though bared teeth.

"Hmm?" Zelda let out.

"Princess! Your lesson!" shouted the instructor.

"No…" Ike let out as he got up from the floor, "No, no, no, no!" He let out as he hung his head. He took a couple of steps, trying to suppress the pain. The screams got louder as his pain intensified. Ike felt a cold chill creep up his spine. So many different emotions came to him all at once: angry, hate, fear, and sorrow. He felt his forehead burn up even worse. He quickly took off his headband in order to touch his forehead. At that slightly moment, Impa say a strange glowing mark on Ike's forehead. She had never seen anything like it before. It appeared to be some sort of series of circles into one circle, almost in a shape of an emblem. The middle circle glow a bright blue.

"Ike? Ike, are you okay?" Zelda asked as she approached Ike. "Ike, what's wrong?"

"Zelda! Don't touch him!" Impa shouted.

Zelda jumped back a bit. She watched in horror as Ike screamed out in pain. Ike's scream suddenly changed to a different pitch before he fell down to his knees then on his stomach; completely passing out. The glowing mark on his forehead slowly faded. Zelda quickly ran to his side and knelt beside him, shaking him lightly.

"Ike? Ike!" the princess let out, "Impa, is he going to be alright?"

"I…I don't know," replied Impa as she approached Ike, "However, all we know is that he'll be alright…for now. Sheik, take Ike to his guest room. He'll need rest. I'll have to go and visit Kakariko Village and speak with the mercenaries…hopefully they might know something."

"Of course, Auntie Impa," Sheik replied.

Impa immediately left the castle and its town as she headed towards her old hometown. Once she arrived at her old house, she looked around to see if anyone was there. "Hello? Is anyone here?" she asked.

"We're in the back," came Titania's voice.

Impa walked towards the back of the house where the beds were. Titania was sitting near Greil, holding Ephraim in her arms. The tiny baby looked around curiously, squealing once he saw Impa. Rhys was sitting across from Titania with Eirika in his lap. Eirika was quite amused at examining Greil's sleeping figure.

"How is he doing?" asked Impa.

Titania sighed softly as she looked over at Greil. "He's doing better," she said, "He had stopped bleeding, finally. It took all of what Rhys and Mist can do to keep him alive. Even then, I'm not too sure if we fully healed him. He'll need to wake up soon; if not…I'm afraid he'll eventually die of starvation or dehydration. If that happens…it would be as if he had died that day…"

"Our prayers are always with him," Impa replied, "I hope the goddesses will hear them. However, aside from wanting to see how Sir Greil is doing, I came here to ask something. Something in regards to Ike."

"What about the Commander's son?" Rhys asked.

"Today something strange happened. He came to the castle, wanting to find Zelda. The princess was in the middle of a singing lesson. He walked into the room and heard her sing. Sometime during the middle of her song, Ike starts to scream out in pain. He takes off his headband, as if in pain then he passed out on the floor. On his forehead, before it faded away, was some sort of strange symbol on his head. I have no idea what was it, but I want to know…if you knew what that was."

Titania looked over at Impa with slightly widen eyes. Rhys was slightly confused at what the royal nanny had said. Titania shook her head slightly before she looked back at Greil. "I know what happened," she said softly. The red headed warrior slowly got up from the floor and looked around the house. She quickly went to the front door and locked it. "We can't let Mist hear this," Titania continued, "The Commander…made me promise not to tell a single word. He usually doesn't trust anyone with this story, but since I was his student and I helped him raise both Ike and Mist, he trusted me enough to tell me the truth." Titania walked back to Rhys and Impa. "You two have to promise me that you will not tell anyone about this, especially Ike and Mist."

"I…I suppose I can do that," Rhys said, "I really don't talk much to anyone anyway."

"Alright, you have my word," Impa responded.

"Thank you…" Titania let out, "It all happened…after Sir Greil and Lady Elena ran away from Daein. Sir Greil…he was known as another alias…Sir Gawain, which was his true name. He was one of Daein's Four Riders."

"One of…the Four Riders?" Impa said, "I heard about them before…fierce warriors with incredible strength. So…Sir Greil was one of them?"

"Yes…he was. He was the strongest Daein had during those days. It was then that he met Elena, his soon-to-be wife. Eventually the two of them wed and lived happily in Daein until…"

"Until…?"

"Daein wasn't known much for hospitality with Laguz," Titania continued, "A brutal man had trapped a young Heron maiden. The poor thing had been captive for years. She was slowly dying as she refused to eat or drink. When Elena met her, the Heron's spirits were slightly lifted as she had found a friend. Eventually the Heron handed Elena something sacred from her tribe. Not wanting anyone with a selfish heart to take it from her, she gave Elena Lehran's Medallion to keep it safe. With her last words, the Heron passed away. Not really knowing what to do, Elena told everything that happened to Greil and begged him to leave Daein. Not wanting anything to happen to his then pregnant wife, the two of them left the country and arrived in Gallia.

"Elena gave birth to Ike and soon to Mist. Not long after, I met the family. I was a knight in training for Crimea and took up an exchange program to hone my skills. Greil had seen my capabilities and skill and offered to become my mentor. I had never seen such a happy family. Ike was always a little curious and sometimes Mist would follow him. Then one day, that all came crashing down. Greil and Elena had gone off into town so I was in charge of watching over Ike and Mist. While Mist was a good little girl and actually stayed at home with me, Ike decided to take the time to explore. He snuck out of the house and headed into town as well.

"During that time, Greil…accidentally touched the medallion. You've seen what happened to Ike when he held the medallion. What happened to Greil was even worse than what Ike had done. In a matter of moments, an entire village was almost completely destroyed. Dozens of people were killed, so many homes were destroyed. It was an onslaught that many would think an army could do. It was then that Ike approached the slaughter and saw his father. Curious, scared, and not knowing what to do, he approached his father, thinking he could find comfort in him. Still possessed by the medallion, Greil attacked Ike. You probably have not noticed, but Ike has scars all over his body. One in particular is on his chest…that's where Greil actually made contact with his sword. Right before Greil could finish off Ike, Elena stepped in, receiving the killing blow that was meant for Ike. Using the last of her strength, Elena removed the medallion from Greil's hand.

"Once Greil had come to, he was so horrified at what he had done. At the end of his sword was his beloved wife, next to her was his injured and frighten son. Elena died shortly after, while Ike got up and started to cry and yell. Ike was very frightened, confused, and had a hatred for his father. He didn't want to get near him. Greil didn't want him to run off, so he had to knock him out. Greil then prayed to the goddess, Ashera to help him. He didn't want Ike to relive these events. He wanted to wipe the blood of his hands from his deeds. Ashera had answered his prayers. With her blessing, a seal was created on Ike's forehead to lock his memories. Everything he remembered for his childhood were gone. So when he came to and saw his dead mother, Ike couldn't react to her death. He was just…so stoic. Without remembering her, Ike couldn't feel any slight sympathy or sorrow. At first, I thought he was just holding it in, but when he looked over at me then at his father he simply asked, 'Who is that lady that's on the bed?' Something was very strange and so I confronted Greil about it. He eventually told me and asked me if I would still stay and be his student. I agreed and helped him leave Gallia. That is when we arrived in Crimea and he founded his mercenaries. There was a reason why Greil would often ask Ike to wear a headband. It is to hide his memory seal. He didn't want people to see it and then ask Ike what it was.

"Mist was kept in the dark about this. She was very little when this happened, so she doesn't remember much about her mother. We dare not tell her the truth on her mother's death."

"That was quite a sorrowful tale…" Impa said, "That seal…does it hurt Ike?"

"If Ike's mind begins to wonder and something triggers a memory, it will shock him, causing him intense pain. We didn't know about this until much later. If a strong memory comes into play, it will hurt him. Otherwise, Ike will not be harmed and he will see only a blurred, vague memory."

"This…I know Greil meant good, but this is just cruel," Impa responded, "Ike is never to know of his past? What else is blocked out from him?"

"That is all…all his memories from when he was eight years old and younger are wiped. Greil only did this in order to protect Ike. He didn't want him to be traumatized."

"I know…but…" Impa said, "Now I understand why sometimes Ike is sometimes unresponsive. Sometimes it is hard for him to actually let his emotions go."

"That is also why Ike…"

* * *

Outside of the house, Soren had stopped at the door. His pale hand was still on the doorknob, but he dare not moved. He half closed his crimson colored eyes as he had heard the entire story. Slowly, he released the knob.

* * *

"We must never tell Ike," Titania said, "If he learned about this, we don't know how he'd react. Even more so what the seal will do to him once those memories are unlocked. For Greil's sake…we must keep quiet about it."

"You said Greil used to use a sword..." Impa said, "How come he uses an ax now?"

"That, I don't know..." Titania said, "I don't know."

* * *

Back in the castle, Zelda had been sitting by Ike's side, not wanting to leave until Ike would open his eyes. Her soft hand grasped Ike's rough one. She cradled it softly, wanting him to wake up. "Ike…" she whispered softly, "Please…wake up."

Sheik had been watching the princess from a distance. The way Zelda would worry and fond over Ike, she had envied. She, Sheik, had envy for the princess. She never did once envy her, even when she looked at the differences between her and herself. She closed her eyes and sighed as she looked away. The scene before her was so heartbreaking it sickened her.

_It's because of what happened to me, _she thought. _What happened to me when I was young. I can vaguely remember the old Sheikah village before it became what it was today. All around me were nothing but warriors. Sheikahs, people of my kind, living live behind the mountain walls and strong gates. No outside could come in and not many had gone out from the village…_

_

* * *

  
_

Sheik remembered her old home. She remembered a faint shadow which she could recall as her mother. The Sheikah couldn't say much about her father since she believes that he was killed during some fight that broke out outside of the village's walls. She didn't have the time to ask her mother about him, since it never came to her mind. Yet, she didn't see the point. Her mother was rather distant from her. Not once could Sheik remember the first or last time her mother would hold her. She just remembered living in a house with a woman who would at least give her one meal per day. "You have to learn how to hunt for yourself," she would say, "At your age, my mother stopped feeding me. Times have changed drastically."

How could Sheik be able to hunt for herself? She was only four when her mother told her that. However, it was tradition to teach a Sheikah self reliance at an early age. At that age, they had to have learned how to use weapons properly. Those that dragged on were considered to be dead weights in their society. Sheik looked down at her daggers in disgust; however she had no choice in the matter. She had to learn how to use them in order to live.

The fires burned brightly that evening. They were caught unaware when the war broke out. Even though the Sheikah were proud warriors, the attacks were too much to handle. Sheik looked on in shock as she saw her mother kill three of the assailants before her very own eyes. The blood flew from their bodies and into the air. However, the damage was done to her mother. Sheik saw her fall down to the ground. Sheik approached her dying mother and knelt down beside her. "Mother….are…are you okay?" she asked.

"Get…get out of here…" she hissed, "You'll only die if you stay here. Run with the others…don't stay and fight…" was the only advice her mother gave her before she passed on. Sheik whimpered softly, afraid of what to do next. Everyone around her was dying. Tears started to form in her eyes as she felt so alone. The young child didn't have time to morn for her mother as an assailant tried to exterminate her. Sheik held her dagger up, ready to defend herself, but a long sword versus her dagger wasn't exactly a fair match. Sheik gasped lightly as she saw her assailant die. Hovering above the attacker was Impa.

Impa approached the girl and extended her hand. "You're a brave child," she said softly, "However; you can not stay here any longer. If you come with me, I shall take you as my apprentice. You will have to fulfill a duty which will involve your life. As the leader of the Sheikah, I give you this choice. If you do not accept, I can only make sure that you will eat for a full day, but I will have to leave you be."

Not having much choice in the matter, Sheik agreed, not knowing what she had gotten herself into. Immediately she was taken to the castle, a place that was a wonder to the tiny Sheikah. The one place in particular that Impa had taken Sheik was Zelda's room. In the room was a tiny baby sleeping inside of an extravagant crib. Even the baby slept in a much better bed than what Sheik had slept on. Sheik's only mode of sleep was the floor and perhaps a blanket. Impa took a hold of Sheik's arm, taking one of her daggers, she cut into Sheik's hand. Sheik yelled in pain as Impa continued to cut her hand. Once Impa had finished, Sheik quickly cradled her hand. She looked down at it to see a strange marking. Blood dripped profusely from the marking. Impa quickly took Sheik's hand and placed her hand over the marking. Impa chanted a strange incantation. Sheik's hand was healed immediately, but the marking was still intact. The same marking that was on her hand appeared on Zelda's forehead. It glowed gently before it faded away into her pale skin. "That spell I performed on you is a soul lock spell," Impa said, "You and the princess will now share each others lives. When she needs you, you must answer her call, your life belongs to her and her only. If she requires your assistance, you must come to her aid, no matter the call. Your top priority is her well being. You must be willing to give up your own life in exchange for hers. You are not allowed to wallow in such emotions, you must have a clear mind, and above all do not love any worldly thing. You will only have a mate in the matter that you need to procreate since you are the last of the Sheikah and the only reproductive female. Do you understand?"

* * *

"What could I have done?" Sheik asked, "Ever since birth, my life was bound to servitude. And yet…I really couldn't are that the princess was blessed with one living parent, or that every birthday she would have a celebration and gifts, or even that she will be queen of this nation one day. What…I wish I could have that she does…is the ability to have someone. Even now…the one person I truly cared about…is repulsed by me."

Outside of Impa's house, in Kakariko, Mist sighed softly. She had barely came back from getting water from the well. It was very difficult due to the water shortage. According to some villagers, the windmill man complained about a child wearing green clothes and holding an ocarina went inside and played a strange melody. Many thought he was crazy, however the description he said sounded a little too familiar. Mist sat down by the steps, trying to rest for a bit. Fox trotted over to her and sat down beside her. Mist smiled as she petted her fuzzy companion. "Father has finally stopped bleeding," she said softly, "I just hope he'll wake up soon." Fox placed a paw on her leg for comfort. Mist giggled as she cuddled him. "Why are you such a sweetheart with me?" she asked, "You've been here and comforting me all this time, yet I can't do anything to break your curse. I wish…I wish I could be able to help more. Sure I'll miss you in this form, but you need to be free."

Fox whined softly in response. True, he really needed to turn back so he could go home, but the problem was, he felt like Mist needed him. Mist looked away from Fox for a bit to see Lucario staring at the horizon of the town. He seemed like he was lost in thought. Curiosity got to Mist as she picked up Fox and walked over to Lucario. "Lucario, are you okay?" Mist asked him.

"…he looked just like him…" Lucario said in a hushed voice, "…to make things worse…his aura…"

"Huh? Who?" Mist asked. Fox cocked his head in confusion.

"Oh…Mist," Lucario let out, "It's nothing important. I was just thinking out loud."

"You said someone looked like someone. Who were you talking about?"

"Someone I once knew," Lucario said, "Sir Aaron…was not only my master…he was my friend. You see…I am a Pokemon, a pocket monster that can be captured and tamed by humans. Those that tame us are our masters. The ones that use us to fight are known as Trainers. There are different types of Trainers. However, Sir Aaron…thought differently. I learned much about aura and honed my aura skills because of him. And just now…your brother…looked just like him. The way he walked, dressed, and his aura…it was all him. I thought for a moment that he came back."

"What did happen to Sir Aaron?" Mist asked.

Lucario closed his eyes for a moment. His paw radiate aura as he remembered his old master and possibly the only friend he had for a long time. "Sir Aaron…wasn't always called Sir Aaron…" he said, "His birth name was Red. Red was a small child when he found me as a Riolu."

"Riolu?"

"…It's a baby Lucario. I was abandoned when I was a baby. I had no idea where my mother or father went to. All I noticed were the broken eggshells of my siblings. My only guess was that I was the only survivor. I thought my parents would come back for me so I waited for days in our nest. They never showed. I was starving, cold, and alone. It wasn't until…he came along. Red found me and took me to his house where he fed me and gave me a new home…"

"What else happened?" Mist asked.

"I…I really don't know if I should continue…" Lucario said.

"I want to hear more…I'm interested," Mist said, "I'm sure Fox is too."

"I suppose I can tell you the rest…"

**End of chapter! **

_Chapter Twenty-__Six__: Ragnell and Four Sad Tales Part Two_

_-__"My name is Fox McCloud…I'm the leader of Star Fox. I won't let anyone take me down…not even you!"_

_~Hey there, Mewlon here just letting you guys know that it has been one year since I started this fic and all. And as an added bonus, we get a bonus story. This idea is another story I was tempted to write. Maybe when I'm done with this one, I'll work on that one. So I hope you guys enjoy a small section of the pilot to this story. The title is a working title._

**Revenant Wings**

"Wait!" Zelda shouted as grab Ike's arm, "You can't go!"

"Huh?" Ike blushed softly as he looked at the strange girl next to him, "Um…I'm going to be late. I wish I could help you, but…"

"You don't believe me…do you?" Zelda asked.

Ike sighed as he scratched the back of his head with his free arm. His fingers played around with his cobalt colored hair. His eyes looked up at the clear sky above him. The sounds of the water hitting against the wooden port echoed in his ear. "How can I can this without sounding mean?" Ike said, "It's not that I don't believe you, it's just your story is too far fetched for me to actually take seriously. I mean, are those ears from some sort of costume?" Ike asked as he grabbed Zelda's right ear. Zelda blushed slightly at Ike's touch, but soon scowled as he pulled on her ear.

"Ow! Stop it!" Zelda slapped his hand away from her ear, "That was rude! You know, your father told me you wouldn't believe me. So he pretty much said that in case you won't protect me right away to tempt you with a date from me."

"Date?" Ike let out, "Listen, I don't need a date. And please stop talking about my father. He died years ago."

"Really now? Then how come I saw him just yesterday?" Zelda asked, "He works for my father, the king, and is a respected knight in my kingdom."

"Your kingdom, huh? How come I never heard of this kingdom?"

"Because your world is not connected to my world! Hence we can not go into each others worlds unless using a large amount of magic in order to transport us. Even more so, it is a difficult procedure to…"

Zelda continued explaining the uses of magic, in which Ike seemed to tune her out. He thought for a moment who would have put this woman up for this. Not to mention how her ears still remained intact as he pulled on them. "Alright, hold on for a moment," Ike said, "Tell me the truth, who put you up to this? Was it Boyd? Or maybe it was Shinon."

"Boyd? Shinon? No one put me up to anything! You're just like how your father described you, stubborn, hard headed, and dense. I guess that's why he always hit you behind the head when you said or did something stupid."

Ike stopped for a moment. He looked over at Zelda in slight disbelieve. "You…how did you know about that?" He asked, "My father never did that in public…"

"Your father told me many stories about you," Zelda said, "Like the time you accidentally broke your mother's glass table when you were four. Another story he told me about was when you got lost in the woods for two days when you were eight."

"…you…" Ike said, "…what are you?"

"You father…is alive. He brought me here using magic and asked me to ask you to protect me while the whole situation is fixed."

"What situation?"

"The world compression. My world and several others are being compressed into one. This one has not been touched yet, so your father said I would be safe here."

"World…compression?"

"Yes…world compression," spoke a deep voice. Ike and Zelda turned around to see a dark anthropomorphic wolf standing behind them. In his paws he had a composite blaster gun. Around his neck, he had dog tags that loosely bounced off from his black tank-top shirt. His dark blue jacket had spiked shoulder pads. He approached Ike and Zelda while pointing his gun at the two. "Now if you don't mind, I'm here for the princess. I suggest you hand her to me before it gets ugly, kid."

"Oh!" Zelda let out as she hid behind Ike, "He followed me…"

"Huh? Who's he?" Ike asked.

"That's Wolf…he's a fearsome mercenary. He's been trying to kidnap me for the past month now. Ike, you have to fight him!"

"Fight him?! He has a gun, Zelda! I don't have anything on me!"

"Oh! I do have a gift from your father!" Zelda searched through her belongings. She quickly pulled out a beautiful sword. The hilt was slightly gilded. "Here, take this sword!"

Ike grabbed the sword and was baffled. He looked at Zelda with an "are you serious?" look on his face. "Zelda…as cute as this is…he has a _gun_. A sword isn't going to cut it. I don't even know how to use one!"

"Yes you do! You're Greil's son! You're a born fighter!"

"Heh, you really want to mess with me, pup?" Wolf taunted, "You really are getting yourself into a world of trouble. Now…hand the girl to me and you can go on to wherever it was you had to go."

"Ike…please help me," Zelda said softly.

Ike didn't know what to do at this point. He knew that whatever Wolf was planning to do with Zelda couldn't be good. However, he had no clue who Zelda. Her life was placed on Ike without any acknowledgment. The entire situation sounded ridiculous and Ike still couldn't believe what he was hearing, however, he had to find out. He held the sword out. "Sorry, but I can't let you take her," he said, "Zelda…I may not believe you…and I think all this is a little strange, but I know for a fact…I can't let him take you."

"Ike…thank you," Zelda said. She slowly looked up at the sky and noticed the change in the clear blue sky's pattern. The clouds had darken to a dark grey, the blue sky changed to a crimson hue. At a certain distance, a strange vortex began to form. _That vortex, _she thought, _Its just like the same one back in my home…is this world going to…? That might explain why Wolf's here…_

"You really are an idiot…much like your father," Wolf said, "Any last remarks you'd like to do before I blast you?"

"Yeah…prepare yourself…" Ike said as he rushed in to attack Wolf.


	27. Chapter 27: Ragnell and Four Sad Tales 2

_Alright everyone, it's voting time now. The last fanfiction sample is at the bottom of this chapter. When you review, I want you all to tell me which story you liked best and would like to see as a future fanfic once this one is finished. Remember to rate them from 5 to 1. 5 being the best and 1 being the worst. Please vote, it is important for a future fanfic._

**A Hero****'****s Creed**

**Chapter Twenty-****Seven****: ****Ragnell and Four Sad Tales Part Two**

"Is it going to be okay?" asked a slightly soft voice.

"I'm sure if you take care of it, it should be fine…the poor thing must have been alone for a while," replied a motherly voice.

A tiny Riolu lay upon a green, cotton mat which was situated on a rickety wooden floor. He opened his tiny eyes to see that he was no longer in the confinements of his tattered nest, but rather inside of a tiny cottage. The ceiling was made out of rough stray. There were only two windows, one by the entrance, near the rusty, wooden door and the other to the right of the house, which showed a view of the neighbor's home. Riolu purred softly as he felt the warmth coming from the fireplace. In the middle of the room was a small wooden table which had one leg shorter than the rest of the table and four matching chairs. Each of the chair looked like they have seen better days.

The Riolu looked around for the source of the voices until he saw two figures hovering over him. One was a woman with long, azure colored hair and bright cerulean eyes. Her pale body was covered by a dark emerald dress. Around her waist was a rope which she used for a belt. Her feet were covered in dirt and muck. In her arms was a tiny baby girl wrapped in a dirty yellow blanket. Though the baby hardly had any hair on her head, one can tell she had blue fuzz on it.

Standing next to the woman was a boy whom was no older than nine years old. His wild, chestnut mane seemed quite untamed and matched his large, amber colored eyes. His dirty, crimson and ivory shirt complimented his slightly turn, blue pants. Much like the older woman, his feet were dirty as well. The boy approached the Riolu. "Look Momma," he said, "He's up."

"Be careful, Red," replied the mother, "You don't want to startle him."

"I won't," Red responded, "Hey…are you okay?"

The Riolu whimpered as he shirked away from Red. The young child extended his hand, offering it to the tiny jackal Pokemon. Riolu slowly leaned over to his hand and sniffed at it lightly, capturing his scent. The scent was a soft, yet slightly smelly aroma. However, the scent was enough to tell Riolu that Red did not mean him any harm. Riolu slowly approached Red, inch by inch until he was in Red's range. Red smiled as he petted the Riolu. "Hehe, he's so soft and fuzzy," Red said, "Maybe Elena would like to pet him too."

"Perhaps when Elena's older," said Red's mother, "Besides, Elena is sleeping right now."

Red giggled as quickly lifted up Riolu from the ground. The Riolu yelped in surprised and curled into a slight ball as he was whisked over to Red's mother. The Riolu was brought before the sleeping baby in the mother's arms. "Riolu," Red said, "This is my baby sister, Elena and this is my mom. This will be your new home."

Red's mother quickly looked at him. "Red, I don't think we can afford to keep him," she said. "We can barely afford to feed ourselves. It's quite difficult to live here without your father."

"But Momma," Red whined, "He's hurt and sick. If he goes out there, he'll die."

"I know…and I know you did your best to save the little Riolu, but we can't afford to keep him."

"Daddy said that a soldier must never leave a man behind. That's why he went off to fight."

Red's mother sighed heavily. "I know…"

"When is Daddy coming back?" Red asked, "Daddy's been gone for over a year."

"I really don't know when he'll be back. All we can do is pray for his return. Alright…the Riolu can stay; however, he can't eat too much either. We have to save as much as we can of whatever food we have."

"I promise I'll take good care of him then!" Red let out as he held Riolu close to him. "Don't worry, little guy, I'll take care of you."

Months would pass since Riolu had started to live with Red and his family. Riolu would often play with Red, explore the small village they resided in, and explore the inner woods. Riouly was currently inside of the small cottage, resting on the green mat he claimed as his bed. Red held onto Elena while their mother prepared for the dinner. A knock on the door distracted the young mother from her cooking. Dropping the rusty knife and slightly bruised tomatoe on the table, the azure haired mother approached the door and opened it.

Standing in the doorway was a rather rugged looking man. His scruffy green mustache covered much of his cut lip as his shoulder length mane covered most of his face. Green bristles dominated the lower half of his face. Underneath his noble brow was a pair of dark blue eyes. His dark red tunic was tucked away nicely in his dark blue pants. The light shone on his crimson armor, deflecting a red light. The man placed a leather gloved hand to his face and coughed slightly. "Elberta," he said, "You summoned me to your home."

"Please…come in Brandon," Elberta said.

Brandon, the armor clad man walked inside and sat down on one of the chairs. He looked over at Red and gave him a slight smile. Red didn't know how to reply so he returned the smile but looked away, directing his attention to Riolu, who was currently rolling on green mat. Elberta sighed as she took a seat next to Brandon.

"I know why you summoned me," Brandon said, "You have a problem you wish to solve but can't solve on your own."

"Yes…" Elbert said, "Brandon…you and Lance were squires together. You both were taught by the same knight and practically were raised as brothers. Lance has not sent me any letters since he has gone off to war. I have not received any money. I can't afford even the simplest vegetables on the market."

"If it is money you wish from me, just name a price," Brandon said.

"It is not money I wish from you," Elberta said, "I wish for you to take Red under your wing. Make him your squire."

"Isn't Brandon nine years old? He'd be behind the others."

"All I ask is for you to take him with you. I don't want him to end up a beggar. This life isn't for him. He's much like his father…a proud spirit."

Brandon looked away from Elberta, diverting his attention towards Red. The young child currently was sitting on the wooden floor, next to Riolu. He smiled warmly as he spoke to Elena, receiving giggles and coos for the baby. Brandon shook his head lightly. _I see so much light in him, _he thought, _if I take him now…he will never return to this lifestyle again. However, it does seem like Elberta can't maintain him. _"Elberta," Brandon said in a hush tone, not wanting Red to listen, "You can't keep your son…what do you intend to do with the baby and pet?"

"Red will want that pet of his to go with him," Elberta replied, "As for Elena…a group of wealthy merchants have agreed to adopt her. They are from Daein, my hometown."

Brandon looked at Elberta. "You wish to give away your children?" he asked.

"It is for the best…" Elberta said, "We are starving and if I keep Elena with me…she will die within the next months. I do not wish to lose my daughter, but I do not wish for her death. Elena will be much happier with them. Please…Brandon, take Red with you."

Brandon sighed before he looked back at Red. "I'll do it."

"Before you go…" Elberta said as she got off from her seat and walked over to a cabinet. She opened the broken cabinet and pulled out a long object which was cloaked in a dirty, blue blanket. "I want you to take this." Elberta placed the object on the table and uncovered it. Laying on the blanket was a brilliant broadsword. The blade looked gilded, with the tip of the sword being slightly thicker. The hilt of the blade was dark. "This sword belonged to my family for generations. It is called Ragnell. My dear husband refused to take Ragnell into battle with him, stating that Red should wield it instead of him. When Red is old enough, he should be able to use it. This sword was blessed by the gods…only certain people can use it."

"It is a beautiful blade, I won't lie there…" Brandon said, "Alright…I'll make your son strong enough to lift that blade with ONE hand."

"Why did I have to leave my home?" Red asked Brandon as they approached a couple of stables, situated next to a glorious looking castle. Red had admired the castle as soon as he, Brandon, and Riolu approached it. The stone towers of the castle reached for the sky, is if touching the clouds. Never did Red ever see such a building as before.

"Red…" Brandon said, "Your mother has entrusted me into making you a knight."

"A knight? I can be a knight?" Red asked with a smile on his face.

"Yes. You will be my squire in which I'll teach you everything I know, but let me tell you…it will be years before you can see your family again…perhaps…even never."

"What?" Red frowned, "But my Momma…and Elena…"

"They'll be alright. You have to be a brave boy, Red. These are harsh times and I can't allow you to go back to Pallet Town until I make you into a knight. So be brave, Red."

Red had to suppress the tears that threaten his eyes. Brandon knelt down and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder, trying to calm the child down. Riolu whined as he approached the sadden child. He gave his hand a slight lick, telling him that he was there for him. "Alright…" Red said, "I'll…I'll be a knight."

"Good…" Brandon said, "Now…we have a lot to cover. I have much to teach you and the training will not be easy. Since you're the son of someone I would consider a brother, I shall teach you even arts that won't be taught to just anyone. Now…"

The seasons would go by. Spring would slip into summer as the days grew longer and hotter. Eventually summer turned into fall as the once green leaves would turn brown and fall. It would lead to the harsh winters that laid ahead. Many cold, endless winters would pass. Eventually leading to a rather graceful spring. A strong man would emerge from the carefree child that was once known as Red. His tangled brown hair had darkened slightly over the ages and was now groomed slightly. His once innocent looking eyes matured over the course of time. His red rags were traded in for a soft, azure tunic, dark pants, velvet cape, and feathered hat. No longer was the child known as Red but rather a brave knight called Aaron. Always beside the brave knight was his trusty companion, Riolu. Eventually the tiny little Pokemon grew as well, evolving into a powerful Lucario. Never did these two part as they went on travels together, serving their princess.

"It's been quite a trip, hasn't it, Lucario?" Aaron asked.

"That it has, Sir Aaron," Lucario replied telepathically.

"Heh…oh Lucario, how many times do I have to tell you? You don't have to call me 'Sir Aaron'. To you, I should be known as simply 'Red'."

"It is not my place to show such disrespect," Lucario responded, "You are my master after all."

"Lucario…I know many people who have their own pocket monster have their own monsters acknowledge them as their masters. I, on the other hand, want to be acknowledged as a friend. In fact, you're the only one whom I haven't kept in a pokeball."

"But you were knighted by the young queen."

"Knighted, I am…but Aaron is not my true name. Aaron was the name given to me when I was a squire."

"But Sir Aaron…"

"Lucario," Aaron said in a rough tone, "Please…at least don't call me 'Sir' all the time. Just the name Aaron will suffice."

"Alright…Aaron," Lucario said.

Aaron smiled softly at his companion before he petted gently. "Now…we should proceed investigating this mysterious dungeon," Aaron said. "According to the town folk of Cerulean Village, there has been cases of disappearances of both Pokemon AND humans alike. In just a matter of three months, more than half the village has been gone missing. The remaining villagers believe it is the work of dark magic. There have been strange noises coming from the cave. So, I assume that could be the source of the problems."

"So all we have to do is go and investigate the cave?" Lucario asked.

"In hopes that we might find the answers there. If not, we're going to have to scout the area around Cerulean Village."

"Alright…"

Aaron and Lucario left the small village, heading north. Eventually the duo arrived at the entrance of a dark looking cave. Lucario's nose cringed slightly as a stranger smell emitted from the cave. "Ugh…" Lucario said, "Blood…I smell…lots of blood and rotten meat."

"You don't suppose…it's monster that eats both pocket monsters and humans?" Aaron asked.

"Most Pokemon don't eat humans…but they are capable of doing so…" Lucario replied, "Only a really savage beast would do that."

Aaron only smiled. "Don't worry…I'll make sure nothing happens to you." Aaron placed his hand on the hilt of the Ragnell. "As long as I have Mother's blade…I'll be alright. So, we might as well go in."

Lucario nodded in response. Lucario closed his eyes, letting his senses take over. Though his eyes were closed, he could see shades of blue in front of him. He could see the aura as he walked inside of the cave, making sure to lead Aaron safely inside. Aaron placed his hand on Lucario's shoulder, allowing his companion to walk through the cave. Lucario grunted as he had a difficult time maneuvering though the dark cave. The area seemed desolate with very little life forms around. Just the tiny specs of aura were enough to walk him through.

Lucario grunted slightly as he saw a giant patch of aura in front of him. He slowly approached the aura. The more he walked towards it, the clearer it got. The giant patch was not one, but several life forms. The pathway to the room was slightly illuminated by torches that hung on the wall. Once they reached a clearing, Lucario and Aaron hide behind a nook in the wall and looked over. The mass of aura belonged to a group of shady looking individuals wearing black garments with stitched crimson "R"s on. Behind the bandits was a strange machine, one that both Aaron and Lucario had never laid eyes before. On one side of the machine was a conveyor belt which carried whatever it would carry through a large steel body and out comes the end product through the end.

The bandits sneered as they looked upon their prey in steel cages. Both Pokemon and humans alike were held in the steel cages, begging to be set free. One of the shady men approached the cage, inspecting it. "Well, well…" he said as he rubbed his chin, "seems we have ourselves a good batch this time. Might be enough to fill in our quota. As long as we use one Pokemon per four humans."

"Hey boss…" another man spoke, "What if we add in two Pokemon per eight humans? Wouldn't that make a stronger one?"

"What was that?" the boss asked, "Is a grunt trying to figure things out BEFORE his boss? Remember, I'm the leader of this squadron. Lord Giovanni, the Baron of Viridian appointed me to lead you Rocket Bandit grunts. Now…I say we should try it…but it's my idea."

Aaron gasped lightly. "Rocket Bandits…" he whispered, "Somehow…I had the feeling they had something to do with this."

"What…is that machine?" Lucario asked. "I smell nothing but rotten meat and blood."

"You don't suppose…they kill people with that thing…do you?" Aaron asked.

"I don't think we should find out."

"You're right…we'll go save them…then we'll get to the source of the problem: Lord Giovanni. If what that bandit said was true, Baron Giovanni is their leader. If we stop him, we would stop an entire organization."

"Alright then!" the Rocket leader shouted, "Let's start the machine and make ourselves an Angelus Crystal. Lord Giovanni wants a really good one."

"Which ones should we use?" One of the grunts asked.

"Get me the male Pikachu and Kirlia," the leader said, "That blasted yellow rodent has been giving us problems now. The Kirlia is pretty powerful. We'll need all its power for this one. Select any eight humans…it doesn't matter."

In one of the cages were two Pikachu. One was a male while the other was a female. The female Pikachu looked rather plump for a regular Pikachu, yet the male one seemed overprotective of her. He growled as one of the Rocket Bandits opened the cage and walked in. The bandit approached the Pikachu with as much caution as he could, hoping not to get shocked again. Just as he was about to grab it, the male Pikachu zipped past him and bit hard on his ankle. "Ah! Get it off of me!" the grunt shouted as he tried to shake the small rodent off from him. The Pikachu held on as much as he could before he released his hold and jumped on the grunt. He bit the grunt on the nose before shocking him furiously.

"Someone get the stick!" another grunt shouted, "Beat the living crap out of the rat! It doesn't matter if it's beaten to a bloody pulp, it will still make a crystal!"

One of the grunts quickly ran towards the back of the cave. Just as soon as he grabbed one of the sticks, a rough hand took a hold of his wrist. The grunt looked at the stray hand. Aaron smirked at the grunt before he punched him square across the face. The punch was strong enough to knock the unsuspecting grunt out. "Looks like we have to act now," Aaron said to Lucario.

"Either that…or you're too impatient to ready a plan," Lucario retorted.

"Heh…you know me. It's better to act fast then to think things through."

"That really doesn't sound wise…"

Aaron ran out of the nook he was hiding with Lucario following after him. Aaron grabbed hold of the Rocket Leader. "Alright then…" he said, "If I were you…I'd slowly drop my weapons and release the prisoners."

The Rocket Leader froze slightly as Aaron spoke to him. He slowly turned around to face the young knight in front of him. "You…who are you? How dare you order me around!" he shouted.

"Thought you'd never ask," Aaron said in a cocky tone, "I'm the guy who's going to kick your ass if you don't kindly let them go. This can go peacefully…or it can get ugly…quite fast. Now…drop your weapons."

"Alright..." said the leader as he pulled out his sword and dropped it on the ground. He slowly reached into his pocket and quickly threw two spherical objects on the ground before he moved away from Aaron. "Arbok! Weezing! Attack him!"

Emerging from the two spherical objects was a rather massive purple cobra named Arbok and a bizarre looking Weezing. The Arbok hissed threatening before it lunged at Aaron. Lucario quickly stepped in and slashed at the giant cobra, knocking him away from Aaron. The Weezing grunted before it tackled Lucario, knocking him down on the ground. Lucario growled before he kicked Weezing with an aura concentrated kick. Lucario's hind paws glowed brightly as he did so. The jackal Pokemon got up from the ground in a quick, graceful movement. He glared at the two poison Pokemon, trying to figure out their next move.

The other grunts quickly got the message and unleashed their Pokemon onto the fight. Pokemon ranging from simple Rattatas to Machokes. Aaron quickly reached into his pockets and pulled out three pokeballs. "Squirtle, Ivysaur, Charizard!" he shouted, "Go!" As the three spheres flew into the air, they cracked open to release the said Pokemon. The three of them examined their opponents. They were outnumbered 3 to one, they withstood their ground. Charizard growled as he hovered over to a Hypno and bit hard on him. The Hypno yelp before he used a psychic blast to throw the Charizard off from him. Charizard was thrown against the wall. The impact of the hit was enough to leave an imprint of his body. Angered by the attack, Charizard blew fire towards the direction of the Hypno.

The Hypno used a quick light shield to prevent the fire; however, all it did was lessen the attack. A lone Raticate and Golbat came to the Hypno's aid. Both Pokemon jumped on the Charizard and sank their fangs into the rough orange skin. Charizard howled as the fangs dug deep. He flailed around, slamming his attackers against the walls. It only took one hit to knock the Golbat out, however, the Raticate hung on for as much as he could.

Ivysaur yelled as she barely dodged the sharp claws of a bloodthirsty Sandslash. The Sandslash growled at Ivysaur before it lunged at the plant Pokemon. Ivysaur barely dodged the incoming slashes. She used her two vines from her back to grab the threatening shrew and threw him at an incoming Rattata and Cubone. The Cubone and Rattata were thrown back a bit. The Cubone twirled his bone club before he threw it at Ivysaur. The bone smacked Ivysaur dead between the eyes, slightly stunning the plant Pokemon. Once she recovered she shook her back, releasing sleep powder at her assailants. Cubone, Rattata, and Sandslash took a whiff of the powder. The powder was strong enough to knock all three Pokemon out.

Squirtle ran around the small area he was fighting. He had to avoid the Ekans, Machoke, and Grimer. The Grimer was busy trying to spew toxic on the tiny turtle while the Ekans was spitting venom. The Machoke sank his fingers into the ground, pulling a good chunk of it. Machoke yelled as he threw the giant hunk of ground at the Squirtle. Squirtle panicked as he saw the hurling earth coming towards him. Gathering as much as he could, the tiny turtle Pokemon used a powerful water gun to break through the chunk, breaking it in two. Squirtle hid in his shell as he spun around, tackling the trio down. Ekans and Grimer were hit roughly; however, Machoke used his strength to hold onto Squirtle. Squirtle poked his head out. Squirting a powerful hydro pump, he blasted the taller Pokemon away from him.

Lucario closed his eyes, waiting for the Weezing and Arbok to attack him. The Arbok hissed lightly as he lunged once again. It opened its mouth widely, as it wanted to go in for the kill. Venom seeped from the tip of the fangs. Using foresight, Lucario moved out of the way in time. He quickly punched and kicked the Arbok away from him. The Arbok whined as it felt weakened. The Weezing flew towards Lucario wanting to slam itself against him, only to be thwarted by Lucario's strength. Lucario stopped the floating spheres with his two paws, and then hurled it onto the ground. The Weezing blew some smoke before it passed out.

Aaron maneuvered swiftly, avoiding any of the attacks the bandits were performing on him. He easily moved aside as two ax swings came him way. Pulling out the Ragnell from his sheath, he knocked the weapons out of their hands. Pointing his sword at them, he smirked at the two unarmed bandits. "Boo," he said in a mocking tone. Both bandits yelled as ran away from Aaron. An arrow barely missed the young knight by mere inches. An archer bandit reached into his quiver, taking out an arrow, and placing it onto his bow. He tried to blow some of the rogue hair away from his eyes as he took aim. Aaron sighed softly before he swung the Ragnell. An energy wave emitted from the blade and hurled itself onto the archer. The blast was strong enough to break the bow and knock the bandit out. "Is that all of them?" Aaron asked.

"You miserable brat!" shouted the bandit leader, "You think you've gotten away with this? Taking down my men and Pokemon? I have yet begun to fight!"

"Why don't you quit your talking and fight me already?" Aaron asked, "I'm getting bored and I'm sure these nice people would like to go home."

"Wh…why you cheeky bastard! I'll teach you a thing or two…as I…ugh!"

Aaron ran over to the bandit. He placed his hand on the bandit's chest and smirked. "You know…I can easily take you out with Ragnell…but its more fun doing it this way," he said as he gathered aura from his body. A small, light blue ball formed in his hand. The force from the small aura ball was enough to push the bandit against the wall, knocking him out.

After the situation was handled, the group returned to Cerulean Village along with the prisoners and Rocket Bandits. The mayor of the village approached Aaron. In his rugged hands was a large satchel of gold. "Sir Knight," spoke the mayor, "On behalf of Cerulean Village, we gladly reward you with a hefty amount. We do hope that the amount will suffice for all you have done for us."

Aaron kindly took the satchel. "It was my pleasure," Aaron replied, "Just as long as I can handle the situation at hand. Make sure to lock up that criminal for as long as you can. The crimes he's committed…I have no words for."

"Our mages will investigate the origin of that contraption that's in the mysterious cave," the mayor continued, "but from what heard from the survivors…was something that was rather shocking."

"I best be off then…I have one more mission to accomplish before I return to Queen Dawn."

"May your journey be a safe one, Sir Aaron."

Lucario sighed softly. The jackal tried to relax after the commotion that happened today. He looked over at his three companions: Charizard, Squirtle, and Ivysaur. All three of them didn't seem to mind the events that happened earlier that day.

"My…you really took a beating today, Charizard," Ivysaur said.

"It wasn't my fault!" Charizard huffed, "That Raticate had some powerful jaws. It took a lot of bumping into walls to knock him out."

"No need to be aggressive with me. Just joshing with you."

"You should have seen the way I was fighting!" Squirtle let out, "I was first like 'WHOA' then I was like 'BOOM' and then they were like 'Ahh' and then it was all over!"

Charizard and Ivysaur could only stare at their young companion.

"Your vocabulary never ceases to amaze me," Ivysaur said in a sarcastic tone.

Lucario chuckled softly. He shook his head at the scene taking place. Just then a soft paw touched his own. He looked down and saw the Kirlia from before. The Kirlia looked at Lucario with such innocent looking eyes; ones that frightened Lucario. "Thank you for saving us," said Kirlia, "If it wasn't for you, we would be dead."

"There is no need to thank me…thank my master," Lucario replied, "Either way…what did happen down there?"

"It is a long and painful tale," Kirlia said, "But it started out months ago. Strange occurrences happened in this village. People disappeared without a trace…Pokemon too. There were strange sounds coming from the cave that it sparked curiosity, but not enough to send in someone to investigate. My master and I were abducted in the middle of the night and taken to the cave. I…I lived, but my master…my master was one of the first to be taken into that machine. In went people and Pokemon…out came out shiny crystals. The bandits called them Angelus Crystals. They all went towards their master. So many lives were taken…I…I wasn't too sure if I would have made it out alive."

"No need to worry any longer…" Lucario said, "For now…you'll be save."

"But where will I go? I'm not the only Pokemon that is now without master or home."

Lucario closed his eyes for a moment. He tried to think of how to solve this problem without resulting in abandoning the hurt Pokemon. He walked away from Kirlia and tugged on Aaron's tunic.

"Hmm? Lucario?" Aaron asked.

"Sir Aaron…these Pokemon lost their masters in the cave. They do not have anywhere to go…" Lucario said.

"I would like to take them but…" Aaron looked over at the small group of Pokemon. Behind Lucario were the Kirlia, the two Pikachus, a Jigglypuff, a Chimchar, and a Caterpie. Aaron sighed as he shook his head. "Alright…they can all stay with me," he said in defeat, "You all will be my new Pokemon partners. Upon saying that he would take all of them, the small group of Pokemon squealed in delight. Aaron smiled as he searched through his bags. He found a couple of spare pokeballs and captured all Pokemon, minus the female Pikachu's surprise. Aaron finally figured out why the female Pikachu was chubby and he was holding her end product in his hands. A tiny egg rested on his hands.

After a bit of traveling, Aaron and Lucario made their way to Viridian Mansion. Aaron was astounded by the size of the chateau. One could swear that a king lived there. Aaron and Lucario walked inside, but were stopped right at the entrance as they heard someone applauding them. "Bravo…bravo…" spoke a deep voice. The voice belonged to a brunette man with beady brown eyes. His long, orange robe touched the ground, covering his feet. Upon his hands were dozens of gold rings. "You did amazing…Sir Knight," spoke the man, "I heard from two incompetent fools of mine that you took down my operation in Cerulean Village and captured one of my generals. Impressive for just one man. I could use a man of your caliber. Together, you can help me build a new empire. One that will consist of perfection. You will have riches beyond your wildest dreams. Even more riches than that queen of yours will offer."

"I'm sorry…I think you're trying to bribe me here," Aaron chided.

"Think about it, boy…I, Baron Giovanni would be a successful ruler. Unlike that child queen, I have the experience to rule."

"And the corrupted heart to go along with that too. Sorry…but my heart and soul go to my queen. And to prove my loyalty…I'm here to take you down."

"Such foolishness…" Giovanni said, "You think a simple man such as yourself can change a world? You're a fool! I'll show you what type of powers you are messing with. I want you to meet the end results of my research…of what my new world has to offer."

Giovanni snapped his fingers. In a matter of moments, two bandits pulled on a long, golden rope. A large, violet velvet curtain opened. Aaron and Lucario gasped lightly as they saw something unusual. Chained to the wall was a snowy white creature. Its ears stuck out like horns, a strange tube connected from its head to its spinal cord. Its long, thick tail was wrapped around its thick thighs. "What…is that?" Aaron asked.

"Hehe…this is evolution," Giovanni said, "This is perfection as its best. Taking the DNA of a Mew and combining it with the most powerful mages I could find. And I get a creature beyond existence. Meet…Mewtwo…the perfect clone."

"Mew…two?" Lucario asked.

"Hehe…it is time to awaken him," Giovanni continued, "After all…I have yet to see the true capacity of his powers. Release him!"

The two Rocket Bandits nodded as they approached the inactive Pokemon. They slowly took down his shackles, leaving him leaned against the wall. Curiosity got to one of the grunts as he stared at the Pokemon. He jumped back as he saw one violet eye open widely. Mewtwo grabbed the Rocket Bandit using telekinesis and threw him across the room.

"Amazing…truly amazing…" Giovanni said, "Mewtwo…attack them!"

"Sir Aaron!" Lucario shouted, "Get behind him…he's much too powerful! His aura…is so strong."

"Lucario!" Aaron let out. Lucario growled as he rushed towards Mewtwo. His paws were covered in aura, ready to unleash powerful punches. Wave after wave of attacks, yet none of his punches did any damage. Mewtwo didn't look amused. He took his white paw and grabbed Lucario roughly using his telekinetic power. He slammed him against the floor and wall before he threw him through a window. Lucario flew through the air as his body fell limp and weakened. His eyes were starting to get heavy as he was losing consciousness. He wanted to stay up, just so he can make sure that Aaron was alright. His body eventually gave out as he fell into the dark abyss of his subconscious.

A while later, Lucario felt such heat touch his fur. He opened his eyes and saw that the Viridian Mansion was almost completely destroyed. "Sir…Sir Aaron!" Lucario let out as he tried to get up from the ground. His body was aching all over from the abuse he had taken. Rough hands brought the fighting Pokemon down. Constraints and other devices were put him. Emerging from the fire was a rather bruised and beaten Giovanni. He glared at Lucario as he tried to fix his hair.

"This is the one that was with that knight," Giovanni said, "He may prove useful to use. After all…he did manage to live through Mewtwo's attack. That miserable monster of mine…got into a fight with that knight and after some 'change of heart' it tried to attack me by almost destroying my home. Thinking I was dead, the beast took to the skies. What a waste…I gave him three Angelus Crystals to make him even more powerful. Well…doesn't matter. I'll make a new monster. One that I know I can break."

"Aaron! Sir Aaron! Where is Sir Aaron?!" Lucario shouted.

"Oh…the knight. Hehehe…right as soon as Mewtwo had left; I took the liberty to end his miserable life…right when he wasn't looking. It took only one stab through the back to end his life. Such a laughable death…a powerful knight like him dies due to a stab in the back. Oh…though I have to admit…" Giovanni lifted the Ragnell with his two hands. "This sword is amazing…perhaps I should keep it for now."

"You monster!!" Lucario hissed as he tried to break free from his constraints.

"Take him and the other Pokemon away. I need them ALIVE and well. They'll prove useful to me later on."

Lucario had suffered greatly. The jackal Pokemon continued to be tested. The most grueling of all procedures was when an Angelus Crystal was placed on his chest. The power of the crystal burned, causing such pain coursing through his body. Yet his power intensified greatly. He touched his chest lightly, as soon as the pain died down. "What…was in that crystal?" He asked.

"Simple…" Giovanni said, "It was your master. I disposed of his body. And I do believe…it really did improve your strength."

"What?!" Lucario let out. "You mean…Sir Aaron…?"

"Yes…you are wearing him."

Lucario growled loudly as he glared at Giovanni. He clenched his paws as he radiated even more aura than before. The entire facility shook as Lucario's aura rose with his anger. The Rocket Bandits backed away from the angered jackal. Even Giovanni's smug look disappeared as he saw Lucario levitate off from the ground. Lucario yelled in anger as he ran towards the nearest grunts and punched them hard. With the enforced aura, the punch was intensified enough to knock the poor unsuspecting bandit clear across the room.

He ran around the room, thrashing around. Placing his paws together, Lucario gathered enough aura to create a dark blue sphere. He threw the ball towards the bandits, knocking the wind out of their bodies. None of them knew if they were ever going to feel anything again. Giovanni slipped off as Lucario was busy trying to destroy any of the remaining grunts inside of the mansion. Giovanni broke in a cold sweat. He knew that Lucario had the power to tear him apart if he wanted to, which he was sure that the Pokemon did. "I have to get away…" He said, "I have to make a more obedient Pokemon. Lady Medusa isn't going to be happy about this. I might as well kiss the promise she did to me 'good-bye'. With this mess up, I doubt the goddess will make me immortal…"

Giovanni stopped right before he could reach the front door of the mansion. Standing in front of the door was the rather agitated Lucario. Lucario's once bright eyes now burned with the fires of hatred. Just as Lucario took a step towards Giovanni, the marble floor beneath him crumbled. Giovanni stumbled through his inventory until he took a hold of the Ragnell's hilt. He pulled out the sword from the sheath and pointed at Lucario. "Take one step closer and I shall destroy you," he threatened, "I mean it. I have quite a powerful sword."

Lucario used foresight to detect Giovanni's next move. He quickly jolted in front of the frightened man. He grabbed the sword and tore it away from the frightened human. "A miserable human like you…" he said, "Has no right to touch such a sacred blade…" Lucario placed a paw on Giovanni's chest. Letting out a yell, he managed to use aura to pierce through the baron's chest. Lucario snorted lightly as he walked away from the lifeless body.

The jackal Pokemon walked through the entire mansion until he found Aaron's pokeballs. He released his companions from their homes and led them outside of the mansion. Without anywhere else to go, Lucario sighed heavily. He tried to think of where they could live happily without the dangers of facing something like Giovanni's organization ever again.

"Where do we go from here?" Ivysaur asked, "Without Master…we have no home."

"I don't know where our next home is…" Lucario said as he looked at the Ragnell, "But there is a duty I must perform. This sword belonged to Sir Aaron. I can't allow anyone but his bloodline to use it. And since he did not sire a child…I have to look for sister. She should have this sword."

For the next years, Lucario led Aaron's Pokemon across the Kanto region, through Johto, Sinnoh, and Hoen, until finally they had reached Daein. Tired, confused, and rather hungry, the Pokemon sighed in relief. Their journey was almost complete. All Lucario had to do was find Elena. If he had heard correctly from Brandon before he passed away, was that Elena was taken to Daein to be in the care of merchants.

"_I always wanted to go there," Aaron would say, "One day…when I have enough time and money on my hands, I shall leave Kanto and go to Daein. I'll ask Elena if she'd want to live with me so we can catch up. She might be frightened since she most likely doesn't know I exist, but I have to try."_

"I have to find her…" Lucario said to himself, "For Sir Aaron…"

Lucario had to press forward. His tired feet were killing him as he passed through many Beorc towns. Not many took too kindly to Lucario or the other Pokemon to a point where they wanted to avoid so many towns. After much searching, Lucario was brought to a small town. The jackal Pokemon stopped in his place as he caught the scent of something rather familiar. He had not smelled that aroma in years, but he remembered fondly. The scent had led him to a small home where a beautiful azure haired woman lived. The book she held in her delicate hands leaned against her purple dress. Her cerulean eyes were locked onto the small text. She moved a rogue blue hair away from her pale face.

His heart was racing fast. It has been years since he had last seen her. He knew deep down that she would not recognize him. How could she? She was only an infant when they parted. He had give her the Ragnell. He had to do this not only for Sir Aaron but for the late Elberta. Lucario moved away from the window and knocked on the door. It took several moments before Elena would open the door.

"May I help you?" she asked softly.

Upon her responding the door, Lucario bowed before her. "Milady…" he said softly, "You may not recognize me, but I am Lucario. I was a Riolu when your brother, Red, found me."

"Brother?" Elena asked. "What brother?"

Letting out a sigh, Lucario knew what he was going to say to her wasn't going to the easiest thing in the world. He knew he had to prepare for the worst if she did not believe him. Clearing his throat, Lucario began to tell Elena the story of a brave knight who's birth name was Red.

It took Lucario several days before he could finish and convince Elena of her heritage. After the blue haired maiden spoke with her adopted mother, she was confirmed that she was not their child, but the daughter of a woman named Elberta. She looked at Lucario. "I…I believe you now…" she said, "Forgive me for not doing so earlier."

"Do not apologize, Milady," Lucario replied, "I just merely came here to hand something of great importance to you." Lucario handed the Ragnell to Elena. Before Elena could say anything to him, he had left her doorstep.

Lucario continued the search for a new home in which he and the other Pokemon can call their own. The group heard of a nation off to the south called Gallia in which creatures known as Laguz thrived. Thinking that perhaps they could find a sanctuary with them, the Pokemon headed towards Gallia. Upon arrival, they were astonished to see such strange humans. The Laguz allowed the Pokemon to wonder out in the forest and in the town. However, they felt out of place. Years would pass by and the small group of Pokemon eventually turned into a tribe. Abandoned, lost, wild, and abused Pokemon would hear tales of a Pokemon sanctuary where all are welcomed.

Gardevoir, who had recently evolved from Kirlia, welcomed all new Pokemon. She sighed softly as she looked at Lucario. "Sir Lucario," she said softly, "It seems our sanctuary is growing quite nicely, don't you think?"

"Perhaps it is…" Lucario said as he touched his chest.

"Are you still thinking about your master?"

"…"

"Sir Lucario…it was not your fault that Master Aaron perished. And it is not your fault you carry around his crystal either. The cruelty of humans can be fierce, but also the kindness of humans. Your master was one of them."

"I wish I could rest at ease…" Lucario said, "But I carry around a burden. I carry around the soul of not just my master but several others. I want to know what exactly is causing these things and why. I do not wish to see anymore of this suffering."

"Let me go with you then. I know I can be a use to you."

"No…the sanctuary needs you. If I were not to come back, I need you to take over it. You're the only one who has a clear head on their shoulders."

"Then…before you head off on this journey of yours. Perhaps it would be wise to see Elena one more time. I know you worry about her."

"Perhaps I should. I want to make sure she and the Ragnell are alright. I shall return soon…" Lucario walked off, leaving the sanctuary behind.

Having no idea how to get back to Daein, Lucario had to go aura searching, at least to find the old traces of his footsteps. Just as the jackal Pokemon had reached the border of Gallia, a strange power caught his attention. The aura radiated immensely that Lucario could not ignore. Following the traces curiously, Lucario arrived at a destroyed village. He looked on in horror as he saw many dead on the dirt ground. He sniffed the air only to catch the putrid scent of decaying bodies and blood.

As Lucario walked through the village, he tried his best not to concentrate on the bodies that much. He somehow knew that whatever he was going to find, it wasn't going to be pleasant. Lucario eventually made his way to a graveyard with many mounds were freshly made. His eyes open widely as he saw the Ragnell situated on a lone grave. Lucario slowly approached the grave, fearing the worst. He knelt down on the dirt and sniffed lightly. "This…" he said, "It's Elena…" Lucario's heart dropped slightly. "She has suffered the same fate as Red…and I could not stop it. Forgive me…Red." Lucario slowly took up the Ragnell and carried it off to the sanctuary.

"I have no use for a human weapon," he said, "I want you to guard this with your life."

"I promise…" Gardevoir said. "We have heard talk about war going on with the Laguz nations. It has become too hostile to live here anymore. Some Laguz…crow Laguz came in here and attacked us."

"_Then we shall find a new home," Lucario said, "I shall lead all of you to a new sanctuary…after that; I shall continue my search for the ones responsible for this…"_

"So…what happened after that?" Mist asked.

"Once I helped the Pokemon find a new sanctuary in the Lost Wood, I left them so I can find the ones responsible for what happened to Sir Aaron," Lucario said, "I followed strong auras which led me to the Gerudo Desert. It was then I was captured and brought to Medusa, the one who started the Angelus Crystal project. She knew I had a crystal inside of me so she decided to keep me as research. They added in two small crystals in my body…both are in my paws which enhances my aura even more. The weaker I get…the stronger the aura becomes."

"That was a sad tale…I didn't know…"

"It is alright," Lucario replied.

"Yet…the name Elena sounds just like the name of my mother. She also died in Gallia years ago after the Gallian massacre."

"It would be quite a coincidence if you were the child of the same Elena that was the sister of Sir Aaron. That would make you and Ike the niece and nephew."

"If that were true…" Mist said, "What would you do?"

"I'd continue to protect both of you with my life. Hoping that the same fate that happened to Sir Aaron and Lady Elena doesn't happen to either of you. Though I have to admit…the more I look at Ike…the more I see Sir Aaron in him. Even the aura he has feels the same."

"Oh!" Mist let out, "I have to run a quick errand to Lon Lon Ranch. Lucario, can you take this pail of water to Dad while I go do that?"

"Alright…that can be arranged," Lucario replied as he took the bucket of water.

"Thank you. Come on, Fox. Let's go to Lon Lon Ranch before the sunsets."

Fox yipped in agreement as he trotted alongside Mist. The two of them walked out of Kakariko Village and ended up in Lon Lon Ranch. Mist had gathered a basket full of eggs and three chickens from Malon. Both girls said their good byes as Mist left the ranch, heading back to the village. A cold breeze blew against the young brunette's skin, causing her to shiver lightly. She looked over the horizon and noticed that the sun had set. "We better hurry," she said to Fox as she quickened her pace, "Who knows what type of monsters will be out..."

A high pitch cackle caught Mist's attention. She slowly turned around to face a Stalchild. The Stalchild continued to cackle as it approached Mist. Mist and Fox started to break for it but were stopped as another Stalchild appeared in front of them. Mist yelped as two other Stalchildren appeared next to her, surrounding the poor Cleric. She looked around, trying to find a way out. The Stalchildren cackled as they slashed at Mist, knocking her down to the ground. The bony claws cut through her soft skin. She groaned in pain as she bled. Fox snarled as he jumped on a Stalchild and gnarled on it. He used his weight to knock the Stalchild into another one. One Stalchild cackled as it slashed at Fox. Fox yelped from the scratch, but retaliated with a tackle.

Fox continued to tear the skeletons apart, unaware of the fourth Stalchild. The sneaky skeleton walked over to Fox and slashed him across the back. The claws sank through his skin, tainting his reddish fur. The Stalchild slashed at Fox a second time, knocking him off from the other three Stalchildren. Fox fell onto the grass and laid there. Mist whimpered in fear as she saw her precious companion not moving. "Fox!" she shouted, "Get up! Please...get up!" She turned her attention to the murderous Stalchild. Taking up a small rock from the ground, Mist threw it at the skeleton, catching his attention.

The Stalchild cocked his head as it forgot about Fox and walked over to Mist. Mist continued to throw rocks at the skeleton; however, they didn't seem to do anything. She toppled over as she had tried to back away from the skeleton. The Stalchild loomed over Mist. Its red, menacing eyes thirsted for blood. It slashed at Mist continuously, cutting the poor girl's soft skin. Mist could only place her hands in front of her face, trying to protect as much of her body as she could. Her arms were now redden from the blood that trail down from her wounds. Just as the Stalchild was about to slash her one more time, a silhouette emerged from the shadows, knocking the skeleton over. Mist moved her arms from her face to see the silhouette standing in front of her. She could not see much, however, the moonlight was kind enough to give mist an outline of her savior. It appeared to be a young man about her height. But something was different about him. He seemed to have what appeared to be fox ears and a tail.

"Heh...picking on a defenseless woman?" spoke the young man, "Very low, even for a monster. My name is Fox McCloud...I'm the leader of Star Fox. I won't let anyone take me down...not even you!" Fox rushed over to the skeleton, delivering lethal blows from his kicks. He managed to take down the skeleton. He panted softly as he looked over at Mist. "Heh...you okay?" he asked.

Mist was left astonished by the entire mess. "I..."

Before Mist could continue on with her sentence, Fox fainted.

**End of chapter! **

_Chapter Twenty-__Eight__: Ragnell and Four Sad Tales Part Three_

_-__"Now that I'm back to normal…how can I go home?"_

_~Hey there, Mewlon here just letting you guys know that it has been one year since I started this fic and all. And as an added bonus, we get a bonus story. This idea is another story I was tempted to write. Maybe when I'm done with this one, I'll work on that one. So I hope you guys enjoy a small section of the pilot to this story. The title is a working title._

**Lost Legends**

"How much further until we reached Tellius?" asked Ness as he stretched lightly. He wiped the sweat off from his brow and tried to move the rogue ebony hair from his face.

"It's not much now," Replied T. Link, "We'll be there in no time."

"Think we can get an audience with the Emperor though?" Lucas asked shyly, "We really need to talk to him."

"Eh…I suppose so," T. Link replied as he as he searched through his slightly tattered leather bag that hung around his belt, "Though I'd have to say…it would be wise not to tell the emperor about Red being the Kanto Prince. The Emperor despises people from the Kanto Kingdom." T. Link pulled out a small, red apple from his leather bag and munched on it happily.

Red was taken back. His chocolate colored eyes sadden as he knew he was going to arrive at another nation that despised his people. It was not his father's fault that their nation had decided to disrupt the peace This World had. His father was very sick, so everything had to be taken under Ganondorf, his uncle's command. He sighed sadly. Nana took notice of Red's reaction and held his hand as a gesture of comfort.

"Don't worry, Red," she said, "We promise you'll be alright. I'm sure whatever is happening to your kingdom isn't your daddy's fault. And I'm sure This World will not go to war."

"I hope not," Red replied, "The least I want to happen is for the Emperor of Tellius to find an excuse to go to war. Facing against his army would be a nightmare."

"That's true," Popo said, "Though I'm sure the Emperor is a reasonable man, right T.L?"

T. L. remained quiet. He wasn't too sure how to respond to that question. It was true that he, himself, had never met the Emperor in person, but his older brother, Link, did. Link was the captain of his army and a friend of the Emperor. He could only know much about him through the stories his brother would tell him about. Most of them were rather silly ones, yet some of them were about how the Emperor is handling the military at the moment. It did sound like the Emperor was just waiting for a war to break out to send out his troops. He was a kind man who usually kept a clear head on his shoulders, but when it came to the Kanto Kingdom, that was another story. He could also sympathize with the Emperor about the Kanto Kingdom. T. L. had lost both his parents to a rogue Kanto Summoner, much like how the Emperor lost his mother to a Summoner as well. Before T. L. had met Red, he didn't think lightly of Summoners. Once he knew that not all of them were bad, he could see that Red was the future for peace between Summoners and everyone else.

"Hold it right there!" shouted a female voice.

Lucas, Ness, Nana, Popo, Red, and T. L. stopped walking as they saw a blond woman wearing a tight red body suit. Her long, blond hair was held in a ponytail. Her piercing blue eyes were fierce and full of anger. The children knew who this woman was and none of them were happy to see her. "It's Samus!" Lucas let out.

"She followed us all the way here?" Nana asked.

"Yes…I followed you here," Samus replied, "It was bad enough that you brats ditched me back in that chilling water, leaving me to die, but now I'm here to make you pay."

"Please Miss Samus," Red said, "Do not do anything rash. I beg of you. These are my friends."

"Friends?" Samus said, "My Lord Red, they can not be your friends. They kidnapped you. And under the order of Lord Ganondorf, I must eliminate them then take you home. So come on, Red…let's go home."

Red backed away from Samus. "No…I'm not going home," he said, "Not until I talk to the Emperor of Tellius."

"Why would you want to talk to that thick headed beast?" Samus asked, "Talking to him would be the equivalence of talking to a wall. Tellius Casters stupid! They're beyond stupid and barbaric! All they think with is with their muscles. It's a perfectly good waste of their magic fusion by incorporating it into their weapons rather than using it from a distance. Meaning they have to get in CLOSE RANGE to attack. How stupid is that?"

"We're not stupid!" T. L. shouted, "We're much stronger than measly Summoners like you. You only rely on spirits to fight FOR you rather than you fighting for yourself. THAT'S a good waste of mana!"

"I've had enough of you!" Samus shouted. She jumped back a bit before she placed a strange card in front of her. A magical seal surrounded the bounty huntress as she chanted a strange spell. "I summon you from the thunder of above…come forth, Pikachu!"

The perfectly clear sky darken as the white, fluffy clouds turned to grey. Lighting stuck the ground that surrounded Samus. Out from the magic seal came out a small, yellow rodent with brown stripes on its back, black on the tips of its ears, and two red cheeks. Pikachu growled as it glared at its opponents. Its tail was erect as he placed all four paws on the ground.

"Pikachu, thundershock!" Samus shouted.

Pikachu barked out loud before it gathered electricity from its cheeks. It unleashed several rays of thunder, causing the children to panic. T. L. used his shield to block the electricity flow. He quickly pulled out his sword from his sheath and rushed over to the tiny yellow monster. T. L. swung his sword, creating a strong breeze from his blade. The winds knocked Pikachu off its paws. Pikachu twirled in the air, propelling its body. It landed against a tree and jumped off from it, rocketing towards T. L. It opened its jaw and bit hard into T. L's arm. T. L. yelled as he tried to pull Pikachu off from him. Once he got the yellow summon from him, he swung his sword at the tiny mouse. The blade connected with Pikachu, sending him hurling across the ground.

Pikachu growled as it ran circles around T. L. It would occasionally slam itself against T. L., causing the small boy to topple over. Just as Pikachu was about to pounce on T. L. once more, a harsh wind blew him across the forest and into a tree. Pikachu fell to the ground and disappeared. Samus looked around for the source but was held tightly into a small tornado vortex.

"Well, well…" spoke a lean, yet soft voice, "Seems we have quite an amount of visitors." Emerging from the shadows of the forest was a young man with blond hair and blue eyes. His green garbs were rather dirty from mud and other muck. He wore a smug look on his face as he eyed Samus. "Hmm…not bad to look at. Too bad she's a Summoner."

"Let go of me, you Caster pig!" Samus yelled as she struggled.

"Sorry…but I can't," replied the blond man, "If I do, you'll only attack my little brother and his friends."

"Link!" T. L. shouted as he approached the older blond, "What are you doing out here?"

"The question should be 'why did you leave the Tellius Empire?' Seriously, T. L, Grandma has been worried sick about you. Same thing with Aryll."

"I…I'm sorry, big brother…"

"Doesn't matter…" Link replied, "I think we should take this little lady to our kingdom. I'm sure there's a nice jail cell with her name on it."

"If I ever get out," Samus said, "I will use all my powers to destroy you!"

"Aww…I think she likes me," Link playfully said, "Well…come along…we have much to talk about."


	28. Chapter 28: Ragnell and Four Sad Tales 3

_First off, I'd like to thank everyone who voted for the next fic. Second, I'm sorry I took quite a while to update. I have kept busy these past months. Not to mention I also blame Team Fortress 2 a lot…and guys. :P Anyway, here's the next chapter._

**A Hero****'****s Creed**

**Chapter Twenty-****Eight****: ****Ragnell and Four Sad Tales Part Three**

"What is that?" Boyd asked as he poked at the unconscious Fox. Mist slapped his hand away.

"He's Fox…and right now he needs to rest," she replied.

"That's fine and all, but can someone explain to me how he grew…and why is he on MY bed?"

Fox was resting peacefully on Boyd's bed. The rough blanket kept not only him warm, but also covered his rather nude body at the moment. Only the red bandana around his neck seemed to be the only article of clothing he had. Mist quickly rushed downstairs to fetch a bowl of water and a small cloth. She approached Fox and knelt down beside the bed. "I don't know what happened," Mist said, "All I can think of…is that the curse that was on him was broken somehow."

Boyd sighed as he walked off, leaving Mist alone with Fox. Mist dipped the cloth into the water, soaking it lightly. She twisted the cloth then placed it on Fox' forehead. _I hope he's alright, _she thought as she checked up on him. _He saved my life and I don't know how to thank him…I just hope that you can still be my friend after this. _Mist's eyes scanned Fox' features. He wasn't as fluffy as he was before. His body seemed more human than animal at this point. His chest rose up and down slightly. Mist ran her fingertips on Fox' forehead; feeling warm fur underneath. _He's still very soft, _she thought.

"Mist!" Rolf called out.

Mist quickly pulled away from Fox. "Rolf?" she asked.

"How is he doing?" Rolf asked as he approached them both.

"He is still out," Mist responded, "However, he's breathing lightly, so at least we know he's still alive."

"Is he…going to be unconscious for a long while?"

"I don't think he will be. I think he passed out due to exhaustion and some loss of blood. I'm sure he'll be awake by morning…I hope."

"I hope so too…especially since his curse is broken…" Rolf's soft eyes trailed from Fox' unconscious being over to Mist's frail face. "How did you break the curse?"

Mist gave Rolf a rather confused look. "I really don't know," she responded before she looked back at Fox, "I really don't know how it happened. I was attacked tonight. I was rather frightened…unable to do anything. He stayed behind and fought off those monsters. I thought I lost him…but instead he turned into this. I have yet to figure out how it happened, but one thing is for sure is that at least he's alright."

Rolf nodded in agreement. "You're right," he said, "though, I'm curious…did he always look like this? I thought he would be…well…Beorc like us. At the moment, he looks like a Laguz."

"Maybe he is one. He probably was cursed to be stuck in his animal form until it somehow broke. Though, I have never seen a fox Laguz before."

"Mist? Rolf?" called out Oscar. "It's getting rather late now. You two should have a good rest. We have much to do tomorrow morning."

"Okay!" Rolf replied, "Mist, you should take a break too."

"I'll go to sleep in a bit," Mist said, "I just want to watch over him for a bit."

"Alright, if you say so," Rolf replied as he left the two of them alone. Mist spent a bit more time watching over the unconscious fox. She checked his vitals and replaced the towel that was on his forehead. Eventually Mist had grown tired. Her sparkling green eyes grew heavy as sleep enveloped her. Her frail body slouched over before she lay completely on the floor, next to Fox' bed.

The following morning came. Mist stirred in her sleep. The wonderful aroma of Oscar's cooking teased her nose, causing her to slightly open her green eyes. As her vision came to, the young brunette noticed the humanoid vulpine that was sitting upright on the bed. Fox had not taken notice of Mist waking up beside him. Instead, he focused more his attention on the fact that his paws now had opposable thumbs and longer fingers. He smiled slightly as he continued to touch his arms and muzzle, hoping that this was not a dream.

Mist's eyes opened widely as she watched Fox before her. For that slight moment, she had forgotten that her tiny, adorable companion was actually a young man who was cursed and recently had his curse broken. Mist sat right up, took a deep breath and screamed as loud as she could. This alarmed Fox who screamed slightly back at her from the shock. The screaming alarmed the remaining mercenaries in the small home which were Oscar, Rolf, and Titania. Titania quickly left Greil's side to comfort Mist. Rolf dropped his bow and headed towards the room, leaving Oscar in the kitchen. Having kitchen duties, Oscar couldn't leave the food unattended.

"Might as well leave Rolf to figure this one out then," he said as he smiled and continues to cook breakfast.

"Mist? What's the matter?" Titania asked as she grabbed the young Cleric.

"Wh…who and what is that?!" Mist let out as her eyes never left Fox. Fox slightly frowned at her comment.

Rolf quickly arrived by Mist's side. "Mist, you don't remember?" he asked, "That's Fox! You know…our friend, Fox. You broke his curse last night, remember?"

Mist tried to calm down. She took deep breaths as she tried to remember what happened last night. Once all the memories came back to her, her heart slowed down, she stopped shivering as she was finally calm. She looked at Fox and noticed that he seemed slightly hurt. "Oh, I'm sorry," she said, "I forgot that all that happened for a moment."

"Its fine," Fox replied as he looked away.

"You don't seem fine…" Mist said, "I really didn't want to offend you."

"You didn't…I…am just lost in thought. I have been thinking a lot lately, especially now that one could say, I'm back to normal."

"So this is what you look like?" Rolf asked.

"Yeah," Fox responded.

Rolf giggled slightly. "You're still so fluffy!"

Fox looked at Rolf and slightly smiled at the younger mercenary.

"So tell us," Titania said, "How did this happen to you? Where did you come from and all?"

Fox sighed softly as he looked at the ceiling. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you, but I came from a place called Corneria."

"Corneria?" Mist asked, "Where is that?"

Fox pointed up at the ceiling. Titania, Mist, and Rolf looked up at it.

"You came from the ceiling?" Rolf asked.

"No…I came from another planet…beyond the stars."

Mist looked at Fox with a surprised look. "You came from beyond the stars? How?"

Fox dropped his paw down before turning his full attention to Mist. "You could say that on my planet, our people are far more advanced than this world. Compared to my world, this world is very primitive, which is what scared me the most. Not that I can't survive on a primitive world, but rather I don't have the resources or technology to communicate with anyone from my world. On my planet, we can travel to different planets via ships that we constructed using the latest in technology that being the G-Diffuser system implanted as the new energy source for my Arwing…uh…"

Fox stopped for a moment as he saw the confused looks on all three Greil Mercenaries. He cleared his throat as he tried to find a way to explain everything he just said to them in a manner that they could understand. When he couldn't he sighed. "Alright, maybe I'll try to explain all that technological crap some other time," he said, "I suppose what's more important is how I got here. Well…I suppose how it goes is that my father was a mercenary, much like Greil. My mother died when I was really young then my father was taken away from me on a mission to stop an evil tyrant who wanted to control our universe. The entire mercenary company: Star Fox, was handed over to me, much like how the Greil Mercenaries is handed over to Ike since Greil is unable to lead at the moment.

"I was very young when I became a mercenary…I was twelve when I was trained by my father's best friend and my guardian, Peppy. At the age of fourteen I had recruited two new members: Falco and Slippy. I'm sure you have met Falco…he's that bird that's with Sheik all the time."

"So that bird is your teammate?" Titania asked, "What of the wolf that's with Zelda?"

"That wolf…" Fox said, "I'll get to him in a bit. He's a whole other story. How this entire mess started…it started four years ago. My first mission was when I was fourteen and with a full team at the time. Some other pilots would mock and ridicule my company on the account that I was a rookie pilot with hardly any experience at all and the fact that I was very young to be a leader. That didn't stop me from trying to land jobs to pay off the debt my father owed on the Great Fox, our base."

Fox sighed as he ran his clawed fingers through his small head fuzz. His lean, yet petite body was clothed by an olive green body suit. A grey jacket kept his upper body warm. Around his tender neck was a read bandana which he kept for good luck. He looked over at the paper in his other paw, trying to calculate how much he had left to pay off. He tapped his dark, grey and black boots against the floor as he noticed he had quite a way to pay off. "How much will I have to pay off after this?" he asked a rhetorical question. However, his question was heard. Standing next to Fox was a middle aged grey rabbit. His long ears, droop down to his pudgy face. His red body suit clung loosely around his rather round body as his long, grey trench coat hung close.

"I really wouldn't know, Fox," Peppy replied, "Depends how much we're going to get paid for this job."

"I know, but I mean…it has to be a lot, isn't it?" Fox asked, "We are getting a job straight from the Cornerian Army itself. This job has to be some sort of high priority job in which, we, the Star Fox team, a specialized mercenary team can only do!"

"Or it could be a menial job that they don't want to bother with," replied a rather agitated Falco. The young blue jay leaned against the cold, dark wall. He crossed his arms. His grey jacket was as messy as his blue feathers. His dark red body suit clung tightly upon his body, showing off his rather bulkier figure. "Face it, who'd want to give us something really meaningful to a bunch of kids? And when I mean kids, I mean you and Slippy."

"Hey! I'm not a kid!" shouted a rather stubby, green frog. Poking his head out from the control panel room, Slippy approached the group. He fixed his red cap followed by the black belt that hung onto his blue body suit. His grey jacket had small black blotches from the oil that was squirted on him while he was fixing the equipment. "I'm fourteen years old. That's just one year younger than YOU, Falco."

"Hey, I'm still older and once you're fifteen, you're considered an adult."

"No you're not!" Slippy retorted, "It's when you're eighteen!"

"Alright! Enough, boys!" Peppy let out with a huff, "Neither of you is considered an adult. You're still just teenagers and rookie pilots for that matter. Now we have a job to settle so listen to Fox."

Fox was taken back slightly. He wasn't too used to being the center of attention, much less from a group of mercenaries…well, mercenaries in training. The young vulpine knew that he had to be ready to say what needed to be said if he was to become a great leader like his father. Fox scratched behind his head. "Well, the job is simple, I guess," he said, "They are deploying us to take care of some rebel group of mercenaries that are hired by the Venomian Army. I know I heard the name before somewhere, but they're called Star Wolf."

"Great…just what we need, some other team to copy our name," Falco said, "Let me guess…the leader is a wolf?"

"Well, with a name like Wolf O'Donnell, one could assume he IS a wolf," Fox replied, "Though…" _I don't know why, _he thought, _but that name sounds familiar. I think I heard Dad say it one time, but I can't for the life of me remember if it was that name or not._

"So where are they situated at, oh fearless leader?" Falco said in a rather teasing yet mocking tone.

Fox just gave Falco a slight glare before ignoring him. He knew better than to follow Falco's antics. His blue companion loved to fight. He lived for adventure especially if it were to lead to brawls. Hence, Fox would take the hint that's one reason why Falco decided to follow him and join his group. The blue avian knew that mercenary companies equal fighting, or at least usually missions that require combat. When there wasn't a job available, Falco would try his best to rile up any of the Star Fox crew in hopes that someone would give him a good fight. However, he would find himself disappointed as Slippy detested fighting, Peppy would usually ignore him, and Fox caught on to his antics after the first few fights he had with him.

"We're going to a planet called Fischina," Fox replied.

"Fischina?"

"It's a desolate arctic wasteland," Peppy said, "Due to such harsh climate; there aren't any residents there, only military bases. However, soldiers on hand are very scarce, which is why a rogue team like Star Wolf would be attacking that base in the name of the Venomian Army."

"Alright then…let's head out!"

The Great Fox set a course to the tundra planet, Fischina. The harsh blizzards almost blinded the giant ship as it tried to reach its destination. A rather large, dome type base was round in a small crater surrounded by mountains and high fences. Four grey and red ships emerge from the base. They sped at a high speed. The Great Fox opened its hatches and out flew four Arwings. The steel, blue ships flew through the harsh winds, following the rogue Wolfens.

"O'Donnell!" Fox shouted through the communicator.

"Well, well," came a rather deep, rough voice, "If it isn't McCloud's pup…coming to take over Daddy's business. Aren't you a little too young for this, junior?"

Appearing on the screen in front of Fox was the image of a scruffy looking wolf. Upon his left eye was a black eye patch. His crimson colored suit went perfectly well with his rather bloodied looking right eye. Covering his body suit was a long, brown trench coat. He smirked in a menacing way which brought chills to Fox.

"You…you're under arrest! We are here to…"

"Blah, blah, blah…" Wolf interrupted, "Just like a pup…all bark and no bite. If I were you, I'd be more concern about what's going on in the base."

Before Fox could respond to that, another call was on the line. He quickly changed from Wolf to the other call to reveal a tall robot. "Rob!" Fox said, "What's going on?"

"Our scanners located a foreign object inside of the Fischina base," Rob said, "It appears that there is a bomb planted at the base."

"A bomb?!" Fox let out.

"Fox! We have a dire situation at hand!" Slippy let out as he appeared on the monitor, "It seems Star Wolf has taken some vital information about the Cornerian Military that was kept in this base for safe keeping and they're going to take it back to Venom with them! What do we do?!"

"Oh…whatever will you do, pup?" Wolf chuckled.

Fox shook slightly in his Arwing. This was his first mission and already he was put in a life threatening situation. On one hand, if he were to pursue Wolf and his gang, the base would blow up and dozens will die in the process. However if he went back to deactivate the bomb, Wolf would run off with the intelligence, causing the Venomian Army to have an advantage over them. He had to think hard and make a decision now.

"Peppy!" Fox shouted, "You and Slippy stay behind and deactivate the bomb! Falco and I will go after Wolf and his gang."

"You got it!" Slippy replied as he flew towards the base.

"Good luck, Fox," Peppy said as he flew behind Slippy.

"Alright! Time for some action then!" Falco chuckled as he pursued the Wolfens.

"I hope what I decided…was the right decision…" Fox mumbled softly as he followed Falco.

Wolf noticed that the Star Fox team had split into two groups. He growled slightly then smirked. "I could easily take out the brat and his friend…but Andross wants that base to blow the hell up, so I can't let the other two deactivate the bomb," he said in a growling tone, "Pigma! Andrew! I want you two to go back to the base and make sure that bomb goes off!"

In two other Wolfens were situated a plumpish pig and a young, snowy white monkey. Both of them looked at each other then back at their leader. "You gotta be kidding me!" Pigma snorted, "You can't expect us to go back there and make sure the place goes boom! We'd be risking our lives and for what?!"

"They won't be able to deactivate the bomb in time!" Andrew let out, "We might as well just take care of these punks and…."

"Listen…and listen well," Wolf snarled, "It's either you go back there…and stop those two or you have to face ME. It's your choice. Leon and I will handle the pup and his chicken."

Both Pigma and Andrew froze at Wolf's tone. Neither of them wanted to face Wolf when angry. Both of them obeyed and left the group, leaving only Wolf his and his chameleon companion, Leon to face Fox and Falco.

Both Fox and Falco eyed the two ships that were leaving the group. Curios, Fox approached Wolf. "What's the meaning of this?" he asked.

"I was sent to blow that place up," Wolf said, "I gotta make sure your little buddies don't ruin that for me. So I'm doing you a favor."

"You're not going to get away!" Fox let out.

Fox boosted his Arwing. Once he was in range, he locked onto Wolf's ship. He fired away, only to have his shots miss. Wolf u-turned behind Fox, did a sharp turn, and shot him. Fox jerked in his Arwing as the lasers started to eat away his G-Diffuser shield. Fox barrel rolled, deflecting the lasers. He did a sharp turn before he looped behind Wolf. Fox managed to shoot at him, causing Wolf to be more surprised than anything.

Meanwhile Falco was keeping himself entertained. His opponent was a sly, chameleon whose dark purple body suit and grey jacket couldn't define his rather strange behavior. He eyed Falco's movements, trying to counter them as much as he could. He followed Falco's flight pattern, shooting at him whenever he could. Falco hissed each time he was shot by the deranged chameleon.

"Kehehehe," cackled Leon, "I'll be sure to take care of you, you miserable little bird!"

"Heh," Falco sneered, "Don't underestimate me, just because I'm young. I'm just getting warmed up!" Falco took the time to steer sharply to the right. His Arwing just missed the wings of Leon's Wolfen as he got around shooting widely. Most of the shots missed Leon, but the ones that hit caused him to growl in pain. Leon spun his ship around, colliding against Falco's. The impact almost cracked through his window shield. Falco glared at Leon who continued on with his assault. Falco jerked his head slightly as he barrel rolled Leon's lasers. The red beams of light bounced right off the steel wings of the Arwing. Falco hissed slightly. He had to think of a way to beat Leon before his shield would break.

Fox grunted as he is met with a barrage of red lasers. Trying to keep them off from his Arwing was much more difficult, especially when one would start to feel the effects of doing somersaults and barrel rolls. Fox' vision was starting to get slightly blurry as he felt sick to his stomach. With insufficient training, this was starting to be a difficult mission already. He jerked roughly as another laser hit his tail, causing one of his exhaust pipes to blow out. Fire and smoke slowly consumed the Arwing's tail. _No…_he thought, _it can't end like this. I can't lose to him. I…I have to be strong…I have to be like Father. I know I can't take him head on…but maybe if I outsmart him. He seems too concentrated on wanting to destroy me than taking that intelligence to Andross…maybe…_

"Falco!" Fox shouted, "Follow me!" Fox took flight, leaving behind Fischina's atmosphere and out into space. Falco snorted slightly as he flew behind Fox, leaving behind Leon and Wolf. Both older pilots pursued the younger ones, wanting to make sure they do not reach salvation. Fox fought as much as he could to keep his vision straight. His entire body ached at that moment. His ship could not handle much more abuse at the moment. One laser shot right through Fox' right wing, piercing through the metal as the G-Diffuser shield was weakened. The wing sliced off completely, causing the Arwing to fly crookedly.

"Fox!" Falco shouted, "Hang in there! I hope your plan works."

"Believe me Falco…." Fox responded, though in a whisper, "I'm trying to formulate it as I go."

"Do you know where we're going?!"

Fox looked around. He saw a small blue planet at the far end of his path. "Falco!" he replied, "There! We have to go there! We can lose them in there then ambush them in surprise."

"What if we get lost?"

"We won't! Just trust me!"

Fox sped down towards the small blue planet with Falco. Wolf and Leon weren't too far behind. Fox embraced himself as he entered the small planet's atmosphere. Usually the impact would only be a lightly shake, but since his shield was almost depleted, the Arwing shook violently. Fox was bounced around slightly, hitting against the walls and the roof of his Arwing. He was amazed at the sight he was seeing. The planet he was on, seemed very green. Foliage was everywhere as far as his eyes could see. Corneria was a mildly forested planet, but not as much as this one. He could not see any signs of civilization at all. Just then a rough hit from behind caused Fox to bump against the window shield. Wolf managed to ram into Fox, breaking the last bits of his G-Diffuser shield. "I can't stay here anymore," he said, "Falco! I'm abandoning ship!"

Fox undid his seatbelt, and then opened the cockpit of his Arwing. He climbed over to the nose of his ship and hung on as much as he could. Falco flew next to Fox. Fox had to take the risk and jumped from his ship onto Falco's. He landed roughly against the steel wing, bruising his chest and stomach. He hung on dearly for life as he climbed on the wing.

Wolf growled as he saw Fox escape from his grasps, he tried to shake the burning Arwing off from his Wolfen, but could not make it budge. The fires from the Arwing grew seriously close to the engine of the ship. Fire burst through the several parts of the Arwing, sending pieces of metal plummeting towards the ground. Wolf undid his belt, opened his cockpit and abandoned ship. As Wolf plummeted towards the ground, both his Wolfen and Fox' Arwing exploded right behind him. The lupine could feel the fires touch his back. His dark figure fell through some trees, disappearing into the forest.

Fox and Falco watched as the two ships exploded. "What…what happened to Wolf?" Fox asked as he watched Wolf disappear amongst the trees. "Is he…dead?" Fox nearly fell off from Falco's Arwing as Leon continued with his assault. Falco cussed as he knew they were sitting ducks. He couldn't fly faster nor could he do any sorts of loops or rolls in fear of letting Fox slip and fall to his death.

"Crap!" Falco let out as he noticed that his G-Diffuser shield was at its limit. "One more hit and we're toast!"

"Hehe, I hope you two have said your prayers," Leon chuckled as he locked onto the Arwing, "You'll need to in order to save yourselves this time." Leon shot at the defenseless Arwing. The two lasers broke Falco's exhaust pipes, causing a massive fire to start at the tail of his ship. The Arwing lost altitude, making it quite difficult for Falco to steer.

"Hang on, Fox!" Falco shouted, "I'm going to try to land this!" Fox watched as the endless blue sky was engulfed by green leaves. The branches scratched and swatted Fox. Due to the speed, Fox was losing air. He felt lightheaded and suffocated. He closed his teal eyes as he lost consciousness.

Fox' limped body slid off from Falco's wing and landed in a deep part of the Lost Woods. Fox slipped in and out of conscious. He swore that he saw what appeared to be a woman of long, blue hair, standing before him. He had never seen anything so beautiful in his life; however, she didn't seem too pleased with him. She extended her hand at him. "For breaking my law and disrupting my peace," spoke the woman, "You are to be punished as I am justice. I am the goddess that created the law and all creatures must uphold the law. You will remain in that form…a beast…for your insolence."

Fox felt a surge course through his body. His eyes opened widely as he felt such pain. He rolled on the ground and tried to get, but could not lift himself up. He felt his very bones pop and crack. His yell echoed through the woods, but no one would be able to answer his call. His clothes slid off his now small body. Fox wobbled as he fell upon the green grass, unable to move.

The vulpine laid on the grass for what seemed to be forever to him. He felt much too weak to even think at the moment. From the corner of his eye, he saw a faint figure approach him. He was not too sure what it was or if it was a friendly figure or not. _Am I…going to die here? _He thought as he saw the figure approach him. A pair of soft, yet small hands touched his side, causing the small fox to recoil slightly.

"Calm down," spoke the young, gentle voice, "I'm not going to hurt you. I'm a friend." Fox tried to make out the figure next to him, but his vision was so blurred, he could not make out her expression. The young girl continued to pet him gently, as if trying to calm him down. "I'm Saria, the Sage of the Forest," she said, "I'll take care of you. You seem quite injured. Anyone who gets lost or injured in my woods I shall help. I can sense that you have a strong curse on you. Though my goddess did pass judgment on you for disrupting the peace, it was not your fault. This curse can be broken, however I do not have the power to do it alone. I'll need the strength of another goddess to do it. I will do my best to ask one of the other two. If I can not do it alone, I shall ask a mortal who might be able to. They might appease the gods more."

"For the next years, I've spent them with Saria, helping her watch over the forest," Fox said, "It was a responsibility I wanted to do since she was trying her best to help me. My mind still wondered though…mostly if Falco was alright and if Wolf was still alive. Just until recently I have been worried about them, but I'm glad I am reunited with Falco."

"That's quite a story there," Titania said, "Though I wonder…who was that blue haired woman you talked about?"

"I don't know. Whoever she was, she was quite different. Like just her presence felt different."

"Sorry to interrupt," Oscar said, "But breakfast is ready. Come eat, please."

"Oh boy, breakfast!" Rolf said as he left the bedrooms and ran down to the dining area. Titania excused herself soon thereafter. Mist played around with her fingers. She looked at Fox who still had a pensive look on his face.

"Is something wrong?" she asked.

"Now that I'm back to normal…how can I go home?" Fox asked.

"Fox…" Mist said, "I…I want to help you get back home."

Fox cocked his head slightly at Mist. He chuckled softly. "That's very kind of you, but I think this sort of thing might be beyond your powers."

"How so?"

"It's hard to explain, but at least I appreciate the offer," Fox placed his paw on Mist's hand, "Thank you, Mist." Mist looked at her hand before she blushed slightly. She smiled back at the vulpine in response. Her eyes fell upon his tail which was slightly wagging, causing Mist to giggle a bit.

Back in Hyrule Castle, Sheik had been monitoring the place. Since the Pit incident, the young Sheikah had kept quiet and has been more dedicated to her work. She had been pacing back and forth through the castle grounds, rooftops, and garden. Falco stood by her side, making sure that she didn't work herself to death. He flew over the castle rooftop and perched himself on Sheik's shoulder as she sat on the edge of the roof, which overlooked the courtyard. Her eyes wondered over to the figures of Ike and Zelda. The princess was seated down on one of the chairs, drinking tea.

"You sure you don't want any?" Zelda asked, "The tea is quite nice today."

"No thanks," Ike replied, "You know I'm not into the sweet stuff."

"I know…but, I thought I could use your company," Zelda smiled sheepishly.

Ike cocked his head slightly before he chuckled. He approached the princess. In one quick movement, he carried her off from her seat. Zelda yelped in surprise as she held onto him. She dropped her tea cup which fell on the table, spilling its contents. "I-Ike!" she let out, "What…what's the meaning of this?"

"You said you could use my company," Ike replied, "And I think it's too much of a nice day to be kept in the castle. What do you say we go out?"

"Go out?" Zelda asked, "But what about my lessons? What about your training? What if Impa needs me to do something? What if…?"

"What if we stay here and get bored?" Ike smirked.

Zelda sighed softly. She smiled at Ike before she hugged him. "Alright, let's go somewhere…just the two of us. Oh, but Ike, are you going to be carrying me the entire way?"

Ike looked down at her. "Well, if you want me to," he said, "I don't mind carrying you, but I think people will think I'm kidnapping you. Not every day you see a Beorc carrying a Hylian princess."

"I don't think Father will approve of such things. Even more so, should I have at least a cloak? Since of recent activities, we should be more careful. I don't think it would be wise to be seen in public."

Ike slowly placed Zelda down. He undid his blue cape and wrapped it around Zelda, making a cloak with a hood to cover her face. Zelda clung to the cape. She smiled at how big it was and how much it covered her, most importantly, she enjoyed how warm it was that the moment. "This cape is beautiful," she said in a hushed tone.

"I think it suits you," Ike responded as he lifted her hood slightly, "I think blue looks nice on you."

"Oh? You think blue suits me better?"

"Well, anything looks nice on you," Ike said, "Just for some reason; blue makes your eyes shine. I don't know why."

Zelda giggled at his comment. She did admire when Ike tried to be romantic, even when he didn't realize it. She didn't mind that at times, he was dense about things or needed to be told bluntly what he wanted, as long as she had him by her side, she was happy. She wrapped her arm around his arm and leaned on him. Ike was slightly stunned for a moment before he started to walk her out of the castle.

Sheik kept her eyes on the couple until they had left the castle grounds. She frowned at how happy those two seemed, but was glad that the princess was enjoying herself for once. Falco was usually clueless when it came to other people's feelings, however being around Sheik for quite some time, actually allowed Falco to learn empathy. Somehow he could tell how Sheik was doing just by being near her. Aside from it being quite obvious that the guy she was in love with won't touch her with a ten foot pole, Falco could tell that watching the princess and the mercenary breaks her heart.

The blond guardian sighed as she continued to guard the castle. As she walked through the garden, she took notice of Link. Link smiled softly as he was able to take off the bandages. He examined his left arm, though it felt strange when he moved it slightly, he had to get used to it. He thought it was far too long since he had the chance to train and this time, he had to get into better shape if he were to become a competent guardian for the princess. He took hold of the Master Sword's hilt and unsheathed it. He winced slightly at how heavy he found it. "Ugh…arm is still weak," he said.

"Maybe you should rest then," spoke a soft voice. Standing behind Link was Samus. The blond huntress leaned against the wall, watching the younger warrior's movement. "You barely took those things off an hour ago and now you want to train."

"I have to get back into training," Link replied, "I don't know when Ganondorf's forces will strike again so I have to be prepared to fight them."

"Link, you almost died last time, remember?" Samus said, "It was by some miracle that you lived."

"I know…I don't know what would have happened if I did," he said, "But still, I'm glad you came back for me. You were worried about me, weren't you?"

Samus blushed at the comment. She looked away and huffed. "Don't be ridiculous," she said, "It was out of mere curiosity to find out what was going on. You just so happened to follow me. So YOU were the one that was worried."

"I was," Link said.

Samus blushed even more. She had to turn away from him to cover up her rosy cheeks. "Oh, it's nothing, really. Don't let this get to your head."

Link smirked as he walked towards Samus. "Admit it, you were worried about me," he said in a sing-song tone, "You were worried because you care about…" Link was roughly cut off by Samus grabbing onto his tunic. She brought him close to her, glaring at him. Link cowered thinking that he had pushed the line with the huntress. Just as he was about to apologize, Samus brushed her lips against his lips, causing Link to almost melt in her arms both from relief and because of the action.

Samus pulled away slightly. "Will that shut you up?" she asked.

Link was far too stunned to give her a verbal response. Instead, he just nodded.

"Good," Samus said as she released Link, "You need to start from little things then work yourself up to your sword. If not, you're going to hurt yourself again." Samus was heading out of the castle. Link quickly grabbed his sword, sheathed it then followed her.

"Wait!" he said, "Maybe we can train together. You seem to know a lot about fighting hand to hand and such."

"You want me to train you?"

"If you don't mind," Link said, "Plus, it could give us a chance to patch things up. That way I can apologize to you properly."

"You really don't have to," Samus replied, "What's done is done and there is nothing to change that."

"I know, but I feel like that isn't good enough. I always wanted to tell you that I care about you," Link said in a serious tone.

"You care about everyone, I'm no different," Samus retorted.

Link grabbed her hand gently. "No…I mean I really care about you," he said, "Believe me, its hard to tell the difference about my level of affections, but above everyone else, you're the one I really like."

Samus looked at Link's hand then back at the Hylian. A small smile followed by a chuckle emitted from her lips.

"What's so funny?" Link asked, "You're not laughing at me, are you?"

"No, I just find this adorable in a way," Samus replied, "I'm not mocking you or anything. Just that, the way you put things, they just sound adorable." Link smiled at the comment. "Alright then," Samus continued, "Let's get to training. I have much to do to get you back to your normal strength, but I'm not going to push you hard until I know you're at least able to hold that sword with ease again."

The two of them walked off to go train out in the field, leaving a rather dishearten Sheik in the castle. She felt quite alone and cold that moment. Falco chirped sadly as he tried to think of what he could do to cheer up the girl. After all, she has done quite a lot for him since he arrived.

"Crap!" Falco shouted as he tried to take control of his Arwing. He tried to pull up, but couldn't. The branches of the trees managed to break through his window shield. Glass shards flew everywhere. He closed his eyes, trying to protect them from the shards. He slowly opened one of his eyes, trying to see where he was going. He slowly looked toward the right and noticed that Fox was no longer on his wing. "Fox!" _Damn it! _He thought, _where could he be? I hope he isn't…_

Falco's Arwing crashed into the ground. Upon impact, he was sent flying out of the cockpit. He smashed against a tree then fell on the ground. His body ached, he was losing his vision as well as losing a bit of blood, his breathing softened as he tried to remain conscious. He tried to move his right arm but couldn't. He had to contact the other Star Fox team members and tell them what happened, however, he was too weakened to move much.

A bright light appeared before Falco, almost blinding him. The light dimmed down, revealing a blue haired woman. Falco wasn't too sure if it was the light that was beaming through the treetops, but he swore that the woman in front of him glowed. She approached Falco, extending her hand to him. She really didn't look pleased at the sight of the injured avian. "You have broken my law," she said in a slightly harsh tone, "For that, you will remain as a beast. Never to speak to beings ever again."

Falco couldn't keep himself awake. He slowly closed his eyes, passing out in front of the way. A while later, Falco felt something wet touch his head. He slowly opened his eyes only to be greeted by a large, pink tongue. The blue avian grunted in disgust as he saw a rather large dog licking his face. Falco tried to get up and move away from the dog, however, he was in much pain, though he noticed that he felt the lack of clothing on his body.

"Shoo!" said a foreign voice. The dog perked up its ears then ran off. Falco sighed in relief as the dog left him. Though, he wasn't ready to relax yet. A dark shadow loomed over him. A giant hand wrapped itself around his body and lifted him up from the ground. Falco panicked and struggled to get free, but noticed the lack of strength in his arms and legs. In fact, upon looking at his body, the blue avian took notice of his strange body transformation.

"What is this?!" Falco shouted, "Is this a dream?! What the hell?!"

"Shh, calm down," said the voice again, "Relax, I'm not going to hurt you." The woman holding the small bird seemed to have almost her entire face covered. Only rogue strands of blond hair peeked through her turban. Her bright red eyes looked gentle and rather inviting. "I'm Sheik and I'll be your friend. I promise I'll take care of you, little bird."

Sheik took Falco out of the forest and brought him to Kakariko Village. There, the young Sheikah nursed him back to health. Falco was still in shock. He had no idea what was going on and was still under the impression that this was some sort of dream which he was having since he lost conscious during his crash landing. As time went by, Falco figured out that this was not a dream. He became rather agitated at Fox then he started to worry. His mind began to wonder if his companion even made it out alive. He could care less if Wolf lived or died, but Fox was his friend. He had no way to get in contact with the other two, even more so, if he did find his communicator, he wouldn't be able to talk to them. He had more than enough trouble trying to talk to Sheik with chirps. "I'm doomed, aren't I?" he asked himself.

That was four years ago. Falco chirped slightly. He had came to the conclusion that he will be stuck on this planet and be stuck in this form forever. He got used to being Sheik's companion and was glad to have been found by her. He wanted to find a way to stop her moping, but how? Falco thought long and hard about this one. He wasn't too sure what would make the blond happy again except for having Pit talking to her, but how could he make him do that? _That asshole has avoided her this entire time, _he thought, _I know he doesn't remember her, but damn, the least he could do is try to get answers out of Sheik instead of just roaming around like a complete moron._

Falco flew in front of Sheik and chirped loudly at her. Sheik looked at Falco who was behaving rather odd at the moment. "What's the matter?" she asked him.

"Come on!" Falco chirped, "If I can't bring that boy to you, I might as well lead you to him!" Falco took off; flying in hopes that Sheik would follow. Sure enough, Sheik did leave the castle and decided to follow her feathery friend. She wasn't sure where Falco was taking her, but it was a slight relief from being in the castle. Falco flew through the town market and into the field. He stopped for a moment as he tried to figure out where Pit could have gone. The most sensible place would be Kakariko Village. As Falco was about to fly towards the direction of the village, he noticed a lone, pale figure off towards the south of the field. He flew towards the small figure out of curiosity.

Standing out in the field was Pit. The brunette seemed rather lost in thought that he didn't notice Sheik nor Falco coming at him. Sheik approached him with caution, not wanting to upset him.

"Pit?" Sheik asked.

Pit finally looked in her direction, not really making eye contact. "Oh, it's you," he said, "What do you want? I thought I told you to leave me alone."

"I know, but Pit…" Sheik said, "Please let me explain to you what happened…"

Pit didn't seem amused. He wasn't in the mood to have another person to annoying him. Before he could say something, a bright light appeared behind Pit. A teleport symbol appeared on the ground. As the light dimmed down, the Black Knight appeared. "Seems I finally found you," the Black Knight said, "Medusa has been asking about this angel for a while. Yet, where are his wings? Did I really cut them off that badly?"

"What are you talking about?" Pit asked, "Who are you?"

"Forgive my rudeness, but I'm in a hurry," replied the Black Knight, "Medusa has been getting suspicious of me recently."

"I'm not going with you!"

"I wish you would come quietly, I do not wish to harm you, but if you insist…" The Black Knight unsheathes Aldonite and pointed the tip of the blade at Pit. "Come now…"

Sheik took out her whip chain, wrapped it around Aldonite and pulled on it, moving it away from Pit. "You best leave him alone!" Sheik demanded, "I'll be sure to finish you off if you touch him!"

"I admire your bravery," the Black Knight said, "However…" using hardly any of his strength, the Black Knight pulled on his sword sending Sheik flying over him. She landed on her back on the grass. Just as she was about to get up, the Black Knight pushed her back down. "It seems this time, you aren't going to be saved," he said as he lifted the Aldonite. Sheik closed her eyes, waiting for the strike to hit her. However, something pushed her back to the ground. She opened her eyes to see Pit on top of her.

"Pit?" Sheik let out.

"I don't know why…" Pit said, "But something inside of me clicked. This looked too familiar…and I couldn't let you get killed. I don't know why I felt such fear…"

"This does look familiar," said the Black Knight, "You two seem to care about each other. I wish I could sympathize with this, but I have my orders."

Falco flew to towards the Black Knight. He chirped, scratched, and pecked at the knight, blocking his vision. The Black Knight stammered back, trying to swat at the blue jay. Pit took the opportunity to get off from Sheik. He took her hand and pulled her off from the ground. "Come on!" he shouted as he dragged her off. Sheik looked back at Falco who was trying to keep the Black Knight distracted. The Black Knight swatted at Falco, knocking him towards the ground. The small bird chirped in pain.

"Seems your distraction was well planned, little bird," said the Black Knight, "Sadly, where do you go from here?"

Sheik pulled away from Pit as she saw Falco in danger.

"What are you doing?!" Pit shouted.

"I have to go save him!" Sheik replied as she ran towards Falco. She scooped up the fallen bird into her arms as she threw a dagger at the Black Knight. She held onto Falco for dear life as she took out her chain whip. She twirled it around, keeping it in ready mode, in case she had to strike him down. "Sorry, but this bird is my friend. And I'll fight for him and Pit."

The Black Knight was losing his patience with this group. He was sent on a short mission to retrieve Pit, but instead was facing this nuisance of a girl. He really did not want to hurt her, but her distraction was far too much to lose the young angel. He glared at the girl. He swung his sword at her, though it did not connect, the energy wave was enough to knock Sheik off her feet. Pit couldn't do anything except watch in fear as wave upon energy wave hit Sheik. One energy wave managed to hit her across the face, ripping her face mask slightly. The cloth slid off, revealing her slightly burned face. She got up on her feet, still holding onto Falco. She quickly ran to her left, but was stopped by another energy wave.

"You stupid…why did you go back for him?!" Pit shouted to her from a distance, "Why…why would some risk their lives like that?" Pit held onto his head as he felt tears trailing down from his eyes. He wanted it all to stop. He didn't know why he felt such pain. His back started to hurt immensely. His entire body burned up. As he saw Sheik's face, everything just clicked.

Sheik limped slightly. She faced the Black Knight, but nothing seemed to be working. She threw daggers at him and they would bounce off his armor. She whipped him constantly, but her whip didn't even make him flinch. She held onto Falco tightly, protecting him from all the energy waves he threw at her. Just as the Black Knight slashed at her, a white bolt flew across the field and lifted her up into the air. Sheik stared at a pair of white wings that were connected to a familiar boy.

"Pit…your wings…" she said.

"They grew back!" Pit smiled at her warmly, "I'm going to get you out of here…don't worry." Pit took a deep breath as he carried Sheik across the field. He had to nimbly fly through the sky, avoiding any of the energy waves the Black Knight was throwing at him. Once they were out of reach, the Black Knight teleported out of the field, disappearing into unknown lands.

"Pit…" Sheik said, "How did they grow back?"

"I don't know," Pit replied as he continued to fly, "All I know…is that I had to save you. When I was mortal, I didn't know how to react when I saw you protecting Falco. I didn't understand why anyone would risk their lives, knowing that they couldn't stand a chance. Then I felt such anger and fear, yet I didn't even know why. It was like, I wanted to do something, but I know I couldn't. My body felt like it was on fire. I saw your face and suddenly I remembered that I once touched it and called it pretty. Suddenly memories came flooding back in. I was so confused, my head started to hurt. Then my wings sprouted out. I had to take action and come and save you."

"So now…you remember me."

"Yes…and Sheik…I'm sorry for the way I acted. I…I would never want to push you away especially since I lo…"

Before Pit could finish his sentence, he felt his load suddenly get heavier. The weight was enough to pull him down to the ground, crash landing onto the ground. Sheik tumbled slightly as her tiny bird had suddenly gotten bigger. As she came to, she noticed that she was currently resting her head upon a rather lean, feathery blue chest. She looked up to see a nude anthropomorphic version of her dear pet, Falco. "What the?!" Sheik let out.

Falco groaned slightly as he sat right up. He crossed his legs, covering up whatever he didn't want to show Sheik and Pit. "Listen, after you're done asking questions and taking in what just happened," he said, "I would appreciate it if one of you guys would give me something to wear."

Ike had managed to take Zelda as far as Lake Hylia. It was almost late afternoon when they had arrived. Zelda didn't mind the long trip. For Ike, it had been a while since he arrived at the lake. For Zelda, she had never once been to the lake before. She was amazed at how vast and beautiful it looked. The rays of the sun reflected off the water, making it sparkle. A couple of Zoras were busy socializing near the warp that leads them back to Zora's Domain. Two lone scarecrows were situated in the dirt, though Zelda was slightly curios why anyone would put two scarecrows if there weren't any crops for them to scare crows off for.

She ignored that small fact as she walked across the bridge. She reached the small island in the middle of the lake. She smiled warmly at Ike. "Ike, this place is so beautiful," she said, "Thank you for bringing me here."

"Yeah, no problem on that," Ike responded, "Though one thing somewhat eludes me."

"What is it?"

"Why did your pet wolf follow us?" Ike pointed to a rather irritated Wolf. He had followed the couple all day, walking through the field and to the lake.

"Aww, he must have been lonely," Zelda replied as she approached Wolf and petted him.

"Lonely?" Ike said. _More like conniving, _he thought.

"Well, don't let that ruin this moment," Zelda said, "Just because he followed."

Ike smiled at her. "Yeah, that is true. Besides, I wanted to take you here for a long time, but never had a chance to. This place looks really beautiful at night."

"Night?" Zelda asked. "How long are we going to stay here?"

"As long as you want. If you get hungry, I brought some food you can eat. There's also a fish everywhere, so I can get us some. We can make a small campfire and roast them."

Zelda giggled. "Seems like you have a good plan."

"Well, I do try to make this enjoyable for you. Quite frankly, I'd be just happy coming here to relax."

"You don't have to do anything for me," Zelda replied. She walked over to the mercenary and hugged him. "I'm just glad we finally had some time together."

"It's been a while…though aren't people going to be worried when they find out your missing?"

"Well, that's something you should have thought about before you kidnapped me and brought me here for a romantic getaway."

"'Romantic…getaway'?"

Zelda sighed softly. "I know people will be worried, even know I'm sure Impa must be looking for me, but I want to do this. I'm having so much fun just being here. So I don't mind if I don't show up until morning."

Ike smirked. "You're starting to pick up some bad habits," he said, "Like that 'I don't care' attitude you got."

"I think I got it from you."

"Really now?" Ike said playfully as he leaned slightly on Zelda.

"Yes, really," replied the princess as she inched closer to Ike. Zelda enjoyed his warmth. She closed her eyes as she leaned forward to kiss him. Ike got the hint as he smiled slightly. His lips connected against a piece of cloth. He opened his eyes and saw that Zelda's hood covered her face. Zelda squirmed slightly as she tried to take the hood off. Hidden in Ike's shadow, Midna chuckled darkly.

_That was a close one_, the Twilight Princess thought. _Their romance is making me sick! Besides, I don't know what Ike sees in her. She's rather frail, naïve, and seems to be getting into trouble lately. Do guys like him like damsels in distress or what?_

"You okay?" Ike asked as he helped Zelda pull her hood off.

"I'm fine," Zelda spat slightly as many rogue hairs covered her face.

Ike chuckled slightly as he moved the hairs away from her face. He held her face gently until he moved all the hairs he could in order to reveal her soft face. Zelda felt slightly embarrassed at what happened, but was glad to be touched by Ike. Her hands gently stroked his rough hands. Ike leaned in close to her and kissed her forehead. He then kissed her cheek gently, causing the princess to blush furiously at his tenderness. It was rare for Ike to be tender and to do such affectionate actions, especially in public. Both had to wait until they knew they were completely alone, so Zelda guess that he didn't mind Wolf or Midna watching them, even though both did.

"Excuse me?" interrupted a voice.

Ike pulled away from Zelda, though was secretly fuming. He looked over at the source of the voice only to find Lucario standing next to them. "Yes, Lucario?" Ike said in a rather loud tone.

"Sorry to bother you," Lucario said, "But I have a small request to ask of you."

"What is it?"

"You see…I know you lost your sword and it meant a lot to you, but I do know how you can get a replacement sword."

"Really?" Ike asked.

"The sword I'm talking about is not a regular blade. This one was blessed by the gods themselves and has been hidden from the outside world for ages. It has waited for a new master to take it up and use it. I don't normally trust hu…Beorcs. However, I can see past you that you are different. For some reason, you seem to do things for nothing in return. Everyone seems to trust you, even you had the worst of people trust you. Also…your aura…it is the same as my master's. You even look like him. The resemblance is uncanny; it's like seeing him again. Forgive me if this sounds strange."

"It's alright, really," Ike responded, "So you want to give me a sword that belonged to your old master?"

"I would like to take you to where it is located," Lucario corrected, "I do not have it with me."

Zelda stepped in. "Where is it located at?"

"The Pokemon Sanctuary. It is located deep within the forest, beyond the Hyrulean border. I can use abilities to take us there in a matter of moments, if you want."

"Well…I don't know," Ike said, "I would like to go see this blade, but do you think I'd be worthy enough to wield it? Not to mention I already had a night planned with Zelda and…"

Zelda touched Ike's shoulder. "I don't mind," she said, "It would be fun to go on an adventure. Besides, you need this sword much more than I need to spend a night at the lake. You can take me here some other time when there's less danger."

"Zelda…" Ike said, "Thank you for understanding. Lucario…take us there."

"Alright then…you better hang on tight then," Lucario said as he stretched out his arms. Zelda scooped up Wolf in her arms, though he was slightly heavy in her opinion. Ike had to hold Zelda for her support while he held onto Lucario. The fighting Pokemon took a deep breath as he used Foresight to teleport them to the forest.

**End of chapter! **

_Chapter Twenty-__Nine__: Ragnell and Four Sad Tales Part Four_

_ -__"Ragnell once had a sister blade to it…I think it was called Alondite."_


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